The Cafe at the End of the Universe

How to Find a Direction in Life

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 05:52:00 -0800

To finish this edition of my life I would like to offer an idea of all the parts that make up one whole of my brain and, to make that construction even more surreal, my imagination.

Here, in the style of The Rocky Horror Show, is my story.

Since the day I was born, I've been trouble...

Well, not really trouble, more of thinker, which in most Western worlds is considered to be trouble. I often reach the conclusion that most organisations don't want you to think, just do. Like Nike constantly remind us - JUST DO IT - which is also what many managers say when you question something utterly fuck-worthy.

But you get a big fat tick on the side of your shoe or in the middle of your chest, so hey.

Woah - woah - woah

endless movies and fast times (not at Ridgemont High but I did live on a road called Ridgeway, which is close); drinking in the culture of Cherry Coca Cola and Mars, hey...Star Wars and Indy, woah yeah.

Plastic figurines for friends, my parents did not question. Playing in the woods all day pretending to be anything other than a 12 year old kid was all we needed in life.

And then...

I grew. Like Alice in the Wonderland, I grew and started to shave and then liked films like Die Hard and then Clint Eastwood and then...oh my god...Prince and horror and sex... (probably in that order)

aaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!

Life. Never stopped me thinking though. And with thinking comes imagination and with imagination comes dreams and all those dreams always went back to the stories, the culture, the influence of those halcyon Cherry Coke days of Temple of Doom or Gremlins. That's the key.

Don't stop...believin'....
Hold on to that feelin'...

With great power, comes great responsibility. With parenting too. Did you ever see The Money Pit? Who did, not many. I did, it was great and I also saw Top Secret and Police Squad. Thanks to the Video Inn, a haven for 80's kids.

So then when you have children you almost regress as you enter the world of current pop-culture and some of it works, and then some of it really doesn't. Which reminds you of the things that worked for you when you were that age and the bottom line to life i have discovered is that you never, ever grow up.

Unless you want to. But all those people are grey and talk about spreadsheets...all of the time. I mean all of the time, like, they actually like fucking spreadsheets (maybe literally).

We choose our destiny, just like George McFly does with the help of his son who has a mother who has the hots for him. Mmmm, questionable ethics of Back to the Future.

And then you reach a point where you are at a crossroads, do you head down Coronation Street or across to the Eastenders? No! You choose your path and the tools you need to take you to your dreams.

So never stop thinking. I couldn't, and as I said, that leads to imaginations. Yet it also leads to nightmares and demons and monsters and detachment and you can, if you are not careful, head down a dark road where the trees are made of burnt oak and the pavement is covered in black treacle. It's a long way back, but worth it. You're like Darth Vader repenting for his darkness in Return of the Jedi (forget the others, please).

You are back! The Hero is Back! The one person you think you can be you can be and you know you can be so just be...right?

If only it were that simple. As Shakespeare once wrote, 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players'. We have in our lives wonderful people coming in and out, making entrances and exits. Ultimately though, your story is about you and you alone.

So, my parting message for you is this, remember, you are the hero; you are the only one who can make a difference. Love yourself first, and then you can share so much more.

Go Punk and Die Trying For A Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Wed, 4 Dec 2019 06:48:00 -0800

Anarchy is the name of the game and I want to play that game with you...

All right me loves? Yes, you can take your lead from the great entertainer who was Bruce Forsyth and lead a life where you beat The Generation Game, and if you Play Your Cards Right, you might Strictly Come Dancing all the way to success if The Price is Right.

In short, find a mentor, whoever that might be and learn learn learn. That, I think, is the secret to life and success. LEARN.

Time to change. Change is essential for success. Now is the time to move on to phase 2, like Marvel, life is in phases. You must learn and grow and move. Perhaps being forty *cough cough* something I should be on more phases, and you younger readers may (if I have any that is) already be on phase 3. Anyway, I am officially now on phase 2 of achieving my goals, and the first part of that phase will hit theatres (?) in 2020. Maybe I'm taking this Marvel approach too seriously.

Forty-something in "human" years actually equates to twenty-something in "universe acknowledgement and belief in the power" years.

I am a storyteller, writer, poet and performer. Shows across the south east are coming to you - I am calling them workshop/shows.

AAArgh! It's out there!

My curious alter-ego Hary is going to be a stand up. Hey, you wanna book me for a 3 minute slot of surreal nonsense?

Do it now!

"Aaargh! Stop it!" Cries my ego as it tries to drag me back into my cave of fear.

You got to be brave and bold, like Batman (the brave and the bold is an animated Batman movie). Sick of superheroes? Then be your own.

JoJo Rabbit is currently sitting at $16m in the US box office and is released widely in January.
It tells the story of a young Nazi Youth child who meets a Jew and who has an invisible friend in the guise of one Adolf H. It may not sound much on paper, but this unique film comes from the wondrous imagination of Taika Waititi, who gave us the surreal and charming Thor: Ragnarok.

The benefits of having an invisible friend

Do we ever lose that friend? It is our mirror, into our soul. Our beautiful and lovely person who some miserable old farts would consider the child in all of us is our friend. Remember that person from a time ago who wanted to become an astronaut, or poet, or movie director? That's still you, it's just that grown-up you took over and became this boring git sitting in an office waiting for the clock to hit 5.

Or you became an astronaut and everything is excellent...you don't need an invisible friend.

So I would say that having an invisible friend is hugely beneficial for your dreams, aspirations and achieving your goals, and through entertaining your invisible friend via your imagination you are gaining a great deal of insight and help through YOU. You and your alter-personalities have drunk in a wonderful ocean of information over the years, and it all has to be stored somewhere, so go ahead and tap into that source of energy within you. You are a Google search in physical form.

Spiked Imagination 3 preview

Yes folks, here is the cover of my new and latest Spiked Imagination Series book, available to buy at Amazon from 20th December 2019, it will be just 99p on Kindle, which is a grand old price reminding me of buying a Flake ice-cream back in the day. They are still called 99's, but I would reckon would cost over two quid now!

Spiked Imagination No. 1

Spiked Imagination No 2

Now, finally, this is my penultimate blog before 2020 and every year I reckon it's time for a refresh. So, I shall be changing the address and content for the new year. Please continue to read my twice monthly updates as I explore my journey into workshops, shows, writing and sharing ideas.

Thank you all for your time.

Reasons to Leave That Thought Behind

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 01:21:00 -0800

Time: 8.28 - Place: Maidstone - Thoughts: Anger---

Why?

Here's the reason - I was sitting in my car making my daily commute to work at the same time as yesterday and a consideration flooded over me at how selfish people are while driving. You find yourself continuously blocked or honked or cut-up or ass-kissed. People seem to be angry and self-centred and do not allow any sympathy for fellow human beings.

Then I stopped thinking that and instead I turned it around. I came to a conclusion based on fog.

I was sitting in the car at the same time I have been doing every day, every week, every month, for the last six years...so perhaps had all these other people. The day consists, in basic terms, of waking, eating, sitting in a car, sitting at a desk, sitting in a car, sitting at the television, sleeping. That's it...THAT'S LIFE!

So what if instead of everyone being selfish, we are all instead in a fog of nothing?

We repeat the same patterns day in, day out, and for most I can't imagine the work life being particularly taxing and uplifting. The same dreary drudge to and from and to, mental fog descends and before you know it your mind has not left the bed, only your body.

The Walking Dead are walking the Earth.

The Walking Dead Seasons are here

Now this is a thought that has been considered by many years, and I saw it this morning as Iat in the same traffic, seeing the same people with the same looks on their faces. I saw school kids walking the same path and wondered if they have considered that they will too be sitting in this traffic following the same path. The thing is, you can move and change jobs, but the situation remains.

Look at Dawn of the Dead, the film by George Romero. The zombies are shoppers walking aimlessly around a shopping mall. It is a sight you see every weekend. We are brainwashed from school to think that this is the acceptable journey we should be going on in order to feed the system.

Here lies Dawn of the Dead - the original one

I don't want that.

I want poetry and music and laughter and life. You too can change the patterns, the first thing that you need to do is notice the patterns you are falling in.
Get some excitement, get some change and gather it all from a place of love. It is no good getting angry about your situation or life, you can achieve greater success when you come at your life from a place of love. Start by loving and believing in YOU and then charge forward from there. Help others; make people smile.

The mantra I was taught at school and that followed through into my professional life was this:

YOU DON'T GET ANYWHERE BY BEING NICE.

To which I calmly reply: BULLSHIT.

You get to a very lonely place through being a shit and no amount of money is going to change that.

If you want music, poetry, excitement, love, dancing, action, daring and fun, then you have to start producing it in your life. You are the one who can make change and try to escape that commuted fog. That doesn't mean you have to change jobs or anything if you don't want to, just change your mindset.

My anger this morning at peoples selfishness quickly subsided when I considered how we are all following the same daily path and we slip into a mental fog. I started to feel a little sorry for these people. It may be that at work or home they are the life and soul of the place, but in that moment, with the radio playing the same track and the other drivers following a similar path, your mind falls and slips into a place of solace. Flip it out.

Mindfulness - A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World

Peace is the answer to all of our ills, peace and love and harmony. Mindfulness is a way of hearing yourself and ultimately others. Our top businesses are already harnessing the power of mindfulness, and in future blogs I will be moving along those lines as I use my studies to pass on to others the benefits and power to being at one with you. Our angry days could be over, the human race can actually achieve success through love. We just need to believe in that more.

Zac Thraves is a writer and performer living in Kent, UK.

Ten Ways to Infuriate the Masses

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 8 Nov 2019 04:12:00 -0800

I live in England, which, along with Scotland and Wales, is a small island just off the coast of Europe. I'm not entirely sure if anyone is aware but there are many people in England (known as English) who don't like being connected to other cultures, brands, colours, gimmicks, countries, lands, continents or people.

Please be sure that I am not one of those people.

Maidstone - Kent - Eng - I have seen a rise in popular thought, and that is people finishing your sentences. What is going on here? I mean how do they know what it is you are trying to or going to say? Here's a trick you can use when face to face with one those quite weird people, tangents. Find a word that does not easily follow the previous word and let the sentence flow from there. For instance: today I went into town and it was so...
busy (expected)
or,
full of flying fish landing outside M and S.

See what happened? That person would be rendered utterly useless and then would have to listen to every damn word you are going to say. That would make your sentences dangerous.

I believe in the power of poetry; of words and song and lyrics to excite. But you can't just write any old thing, that leads to the dark side. Instead you must remember that you are your brand - think Brian blessed, Nicolas Cage or Daniel O'Donnell. In short, you become what is expected of you. You are you and must believe in you to be you and then create the best you. Your clothes are you; your hair is you; your make-up is you; your words are you; what you put out there is you.

Let's say you want to make an impression in a job interview. Well, first of all you could actually do impressions of famous people, you would instantly stand out. Or you could walk in wearing nothing but a plastic bag for a shirt. Perhaps you would like to entertain the idea that you are qualified, then exaggerate the qualifications a hundred-fold and get that confidence sky high. (Quite why anyone would think they are qualified for anything is questionable, just look at the people in power)

What I am trying and failing to say is YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AS YOU ARE; DON'T PRETEND TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.

I hate those critics who say about artists or sportspeople, oh, he's the new Pele, or she's the new Doris Day, or this band are the new Beatles. NO! They are themselves, not anybody else. I know lots of people who like new things as well as going back to older things. It's not a problem. Plenty of room for new people, come on in.

Poetry and Video games are not a mix you would expect to see; like eggs and Marmite I suppose. But wouldn't it be wonderful to see a character in a game spouting some words that hint at poetry? Just imagine teenage boys delighting at Lara Croft stopping in her tracks to recite how she feels the trees are contrasting with the landscape. I know...awesome right?

Video Game music on Scala - yes, you read that right. Scala, which is a really cool new digital station playing classical music have a show where they play music from video games. Now, I haven't heard the music from 80's classics like Donkey Kong or Pac-Man, but I have heard themes from the likes of Uncharted. It's a great idea, and it's a great station as well. You can download the app on your phone. It serves as a reminder that the video game industry is huge and should be taken far more seriously than it is at the moment. It is bigger than Hollywood, and bigger than Brexit. It unites us as a human race in far more ways than any other media. Time to embrace gaming, and Scala are doing just that.

Listen Now at Scala

TOMB RAIDER @ Amazon

Here is a list of books I am currently placing on my radar, which is what I call the table next to my bed:

My Best Friend's Exorcism - https://amzn.to/2JYjm6i - amazing 80's set horror by Grady Hendrix

The Institute - Stephen King at his page-turning best

The Colossus - Sylvia Plath's haunting and beautiful collection of poems

Small Hands - the debut collection of poetry by Mona Arshi

Finally, a word from the poet and literary sensation, author of Man and Superman and Pigmalion, George Bernard Shaw (he preferred Bernard Shaw):
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

How To Think Outside The Box

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 01:55:00 -0700

Hey...

here's a radical thought -

Why don't Disney make an original story?

'Nah...you're all right mate', says ol' Dis, 'we're just gonna milk the shit out of this load of crap from our back catalogue.'

But, Mr Disney, what of the new stories, characters, situations and worlds being dreamt up by new writers, new authors, new imaginations?

'Fuck off, we're doing Star Wars number 9 and Frozen number 2, and Marvel number 256.'

Since the last blog we had a power-cut at work and instead of the esteemed management from the local authority coming forward and taking control of the situation by, for instance: cancel appointments, health and safety of customers, can we re-direct the work to another office, it was a chaotic mess of fire-fighting and wondering what on earth to do. So my theory goes like this, if all the decision-makers and process-doers of the lower levels are crap, then is it any wonder that Brexit is a right fucking shambles? I mean, if you look into the flow of a river, the shit always rises to the top.

Our authorities, local and nationally, are a fucking joke. The Home Office, and I speak from professional experience of having to deal with these idiots, are absolutely clueless about what is going on. You know, basic stuff like knowing what it is that you have told people to do, that kind of thing. Like, not contradicting yourself and making any process of your invention even more fucking shambolic and confusing.

Brexit, regardless of your vote, is a playground mess. It stands for Brex, meaning Brr it's cold and your an ex, and it, meaning shit.

CALLING ALL WRITERS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
November is NaNoWriMo, which is an acronym for NAtional NOvember WRIting MOnth. It is a time of the year, just prior to the onslaught of seasonal goodwill and throwing cash at crap plastic items we are all required to write a novel. So just bloody go and do it will you...NOW!

https://www.nanowrimo.org/

Now look here Disney, head over to nanowrimo and see what new authors are doing, what new artists are bringing to the table. Look at the passion, the style, the wide-ranging characters.

'Yep,' ol' Dis says, 'I'll get one of 'em to write Toy Story 22.'

NOW for a regular section I have dubbed -

CELLOPHANE WARS!

We've got plastic in the seas, plastic in the shops, plastic in the air, plastic in our faces and our arses; a box of tea you might think would not be an offending article. Here it lies, in a cardboard box, wonderful, thank you Yorkshire Tea; oh, and the bags I hope may be biodegradable, perhaps...good stuff Tetley...hang on a minute....

WHY IS THE BOX WRAPPED IN FUCKING CELLOPHANE?!!

The box is sealed by perforation, it does not need more sealing, it's a box, a box has the ability to store things on its own, it doesn't have to be suffocated by yet more plastic. MWAAAAAW!

Hey Disney, make a story about a load of cardboard at war with plastic, and how plastic is drawing a veil over our world causing toxic pollution. Cardboard soldiers batter through the plastic and suddenly a whole expanse of universe lies ahead begging to be explored.

Anger it seems is everywhere, in the streets, in the living room and in the mind; I have a useful remedy against such batterings to the thought processes, which is:
...live in my imagination and not give a fuck....

I know it's not perfect, and comes across as mightily selfish, but hey, you know what I would think about that. It does all depend on the situation however. If someone I love or something that I feel passionate about is causing anger, then I shall deal with it; but general dumb-shits in the town being angry and aggressive, then I refer to my mantra. A good way of living in your imagination is through play, and I recently dug up an old game from Games Workshop entitled - BLOOD BOWL.

Blood Bowl RPG

It's a football game, marrying rugby and NFL, but with orcs and dwarves and elfs and other some such, and as the name suggests, it is bloody. It was released in 1986 and that is the version I have. Yet now it has expanded to larger platforms, and PS4 and that. There's nothing like a good bit of mindless violence to ease the anger. Blood Bowl 2 PS4

I also watch films, and in contrast to Blood Bowl you could watch Escape to Victory. This stars Pele, Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone as a goalkeeper for a football (soccer) match. It would now be considered a Sunday afternoon movie, https://amzn.to/2Jj8JL6 but that perhaps says more about its age. I recently watched Batman Returns on a Sunday, and it felt as if that had slipped into the genre of easy Sunday movies. Shame as it was something else upon release in 1992. A beautiful gothic love story featuring an assortment of weirdos in fancy dress.
You could also put that one on the list of Christmas movies, and would be a worthy precursor to Gremlins, followed by Die Hard.

So that's thinking outside the box. Tune in next time as I discuss the philosophical merits of Batman; The Movie, featuring that often needed tool the 'Anti-Shark-Repellent Bat-Spray'.

Zac Thraves is a writer and performer currently residing just outside of Europe in a small shanty town called England. You may realise that he likes movies.

Ten Ways to Start A Fight and Wage Plastic Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 06:04:00 -0700

A Long Time Ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

CELLOPHANE WARS

I am sick of it! So sick I am tired!

Like totally sick of all the bloody plastic wrapping!

What the fuck is going on with companies who wrap plastic...
IN FUCKING PLASTIC!!! ???

The product is already protected by plastic...we need no more plastic....

FUCK!!!

First Blood started out as a lengthy drama about a Vietnam vet struggling to adapt to normal life; Stallone hated it so much he wanted to buy it and then destroy the print; it was then re-edited into a 90 minute action movie and the rest, as they say, is history. Rambo was born!

First Blood on Blu-Ray Here

Now when you get your blu-ray or dvd of First Blood, because you know you're intrigued by the movie even though you haven't seen it for years, just take a moment to marvel at the amount of

FUCKING CELLOPHANE THAT IS WRAPPED AROUND IT!!!!!

I'm going on a cellophane war, shops...you have been warned.

Interesting geek moment - Beverly Hills Cop was originally an action movie stated for Frank Sinatra, and then Sly Stallone himself. Just imagine, we would never have had Axel F from Harold Faltermeyer or Glenn Fry singing The Heat Is On. (Sinatra doing Axel F would have been interesting)

Hey...here's another geek fact, Prince did the soundtrack to Batman in 1989 and was meant to do it with Michael Jackson. Take a peek at this interesting video from Midnight's Edge:

So you've now all probably realised that plastic is a real bug of mine, I hate the stuff, I mean I really hate the stuff. What makes me so mad is that the world is becoming more "aware" of plastic and companies are failing to do anything about it.You know we didn't ask for all this plastic shit right? We just seem to be in a position where it has been forced onto us. It's getting worse! I remember heading into Our Price or Sam Goody and picking up a cd or dvd in its plastic case and being able to open it and see a disc and read the interior and now it's all covered in plastic shit. Why?

Oh well, you see, people can steal the discs and then place them in their pockets and the like.

Ok, then put bloody tags on the disc or something! Do something else with all your brainpower and technology - this option is cheap, brainless and destroys the planet -

You fucking morons!

Broccoli in plastic !!! - apples in plastic ???!!!!!

I can steal a bloody apple that's wrapped in plastic - it does not need to be wrapped in plastic!!

Aaaaahhhhh! I'm melting into my own boiling pot of despair and frustration!

Right, e-nuff, which is not an electronic drug. I am going to calm and think of lots of things that aren't wrapped in plastic, like...

erm...

Baked Beans?

I think you'll find that a four-pack of beans comes in plastic wrapping.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've drawn a line, which means I am moving on (for now) from plastic. Here's a picture from an old cereal box that I used to eat.

Here you can play your own game of The Black Hole, from classic 80's Disney flop, The Black Hole. Now, you need to get a dice I would think, and perhaps print this out and cut it out using an adult with a pair of scissors. Then, you choose a colour of your choice and you can be VINCENT, Maximillian, Cygnus (which is a spaceship) and Pizer which is a stupid name for a human pilot; then you have to get sucked into the black hole I think, I can't remember. The only thing I remember about the film is Anthony Perkins, or Norman Bates of Psycho fame, getting killed by a robot with propellors and trying to protect himself using a book. Yes, you read that right, a book. As you do. He should have called his mother.

I am reminded often of my ability to see into the future, who reminds me? You'll have to find out, but the point is this, wait for it....

I guess you don't have that same ability.

Here's some ads:

What A Waste by Jess French a book about plastic and all the bad crap we are doing.

Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson another book about being a jolly good citizen

And finally my own little book is here and ready to be eaten by a hungry horde of thrill-seekers. Huggers tells the story of one woman struggling against a activist movement with a hidden agenda to send disease across the globe. It's good and cheap, 99p for Kindle owners.

Huggers for Kindle is HERE

Ten Ways to Make Money, Music and Stay Mad

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 04:31:00 -0700

This week...

While conducting ceremonies, in the waiting area I was happily playing John Williams soundtracks, the heraldic composer of such luscious themes as Superman and Indiana Jones. However,it would appear that a lot of couples are averse to The Imperial March and Jaws. It seems that doesn't get them in the 'mood' to be married.

While I will not judge, the laughter and eventual stopping of that CD has caused me to think that they were the ones judging. Therefore, they took it upon themselves to change the music to something so repulsive I was almost sick, Katie Melua or Michael Ball singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. MY GOD! Darth Vader's theme has far more worth and emotion than that!

The Very John Williams CD I used is HERE

MAD Magazine was sadly put to bed earlier this year, but is still available as an online magazine. I remember very vividly the Return of the Jedi parody way back in 1983 (really?!) entitled RE-HASH OF THE JETI. In it Lube must thwart the attempts of the mighty Empire to breathe all over the galaxy. MAD was cool, it was great and it was funny, Spy vs Spy anyone? It needs our support, and here in the UK a new copy of MAD to your Kindle is only £3.43 (cheap!). Those of you dwelling in the US of A can subscribe at their website. Top Fact: the title is now run by DC Comics, so perhaps a multiverse movie series of Batman and Alfred E. Neuman as his butler?

MAD Magazine at Amazon

Jedi's don't revenge, but they do return. According to George Lucas who began the advertising campaign for the final part of his trilogy entitled Revenge of the Jedi; until he realised that Jedi's do not seek revenge, so changed it to Return. There are some pieces out there with Revenge and I remember having an old poster with that title. In those days we weren't interested in saving and investing, so all Star Wars products were used, abused and thrown away by parents. That's why they hold their value. Later films need not apply.

So you wanna make money do ya? Okay, the best thing you can do is save; the second best thing you can do is work...no, the best thing you can do is work; the second best thing you can do is invest what you have earned, and then the best thing you can do is save. Or, the best thing you can do is earn, invest and save...did I just say that?

Basically, earn money; you do that properly by doing that which you love; if you have no passion, then you have no driver to build on what you do and earn more money.

Wait a minute, this is your social communist conscience speaking, you don't need money!! You need to share and love and do good for society.

Yeah, right. This is reality speaking, that may be well and good, but the rest of the world deals in money and you need to pay bills. So get over it and reward you and your family. There.

(Besides, name me a poor communist leader in history)

Glad that's out of the way; isn't conscience a strange thing. Sometimes it makes you want to beat the shit out of someone, the next moment you want to kiss them. I know, weird. I guess the best thing to do is look at those moments when your conscience says things like:

THIS IS WRONG...

THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK...

THIS IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY NEED TO DO...

and then act accordingly. After all, the conscience leads the emotions, not the actions.

Time now for a snippet of nature and a look at the sea. I find the sea a great deal of emotional help; enabling me to feel different, and to acknowledge what the real problems are instead of the ones that don't really matter. The sea is the most powerful force in our world, and it won't give a figs-ass about Brexit or stupid politicians.

And there we have it, ten ways to make money and stay mad. (or something) Next time I will explain ten ways to make mad and stay money, which is probably going to be far more enlightening than this (be careful. ed). I will leave you with one thought...

What happens to the onions when the tears have dried...do they die?

Zac Thraves is a writer and perfomer living in the UK, although currently wishing he lived in a much different country. His new book, HUGGERS, is out now for Kindle and paperback at all Amazons.

How To Train Your Brain to Bad Ass and Yellow

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 5 Sep 2019 07:26:00 -0700

I have had a real yellow and tough couple of weeks; I say yellow because that is the colour of the post-it-note I used to remember what I had to talk about; I say tough because, I've been living in the UK and man, that shit is tough.

Living in the UK and being a citizen bearing the seal of the Queen on a British passport is a real liability, I mean, you've seen our representatives in government right? I really wish I had my old Star Wars passport to use instead. Do you think I could trade one in for the other? Maybe George Lucas still owns the rights to those passports, meaning Disney will not be making any of them and I am stuck...stuck in this ridiculous world with na'er a way of getting out! I mean, damn, man, I mean, really, what am I going to do without a Star Wars passport to see me through. I can't cope!

And God Created Women

Now I would like to introduce a brand new game show entitled:

WATCHING BRIGITTE BARDOT in the FLEA-PIT

I know what you are thinking, possibly... what?! Here's the rub, you have to go back in your mind to the strangest, or filthiest, or smallest, or surrealist cinema experience and post it right here in the comments below. I shall then pick the best, and once chosen, I shall read them out live on Youtube (this will also be recorded for global audiences who I anticipate will be peeked with excitement). You know what to do, describe in the most colourful and intimate way you can.

I blame Bradley Wiggins, and it has become a real affront to our beautiful English countryside; that is fat old men dressed in lycra cycling their way across the landscape...it should be stopped for the sake of decency and nature.

Time for an ad break:

Have you ever wondered about the universe? If not, then perhaps you are the sane one, if so, then perhaps you are the sane one; because we should be. I have a theory that the universe is a child's balloon that has been let go at some party or other, probably in a large garden with candy floss machines, and then left to float into the nothingness of that particular universes existence, you know, where the black night could be pink and the blue skies could be magenta. Then the balloon expands, and we are all inside it laughing and going to war and arguing over who had the last bite of the burger until eventually the balloon will reach an outer atmosphere where it can no longer keep itself intact and burst, sending clouds of blood and dust and faeces scattered across pink space and sowing our seeds into different universes. So we could get, like, purple broccoli trees with human hands and zebras with cauliflower ears.

You know, that sort of thing. I may be wrong of course.

Speaking of Disney, if they bought the rights to this blog they would change its layout by 25% while I would rake it in on the merchandise of the original.

So last week I thought I would take a walk through an idyllic Kent village in complete nudity and read a chapter from Great Expectations. The problem? I couldn't get a copy of Great Expectations, so old Dick' (as I like to call the esteemed writer), couldn't come out to play.

Finally, it's that time which I like to call:

...........SHAMELESS PLUG OF THE WEEK...........

Here is the cover of my latest book in the series SPIKE IMAGINATION. It is due for release exclusively to Amazon Kindle and paperback on 25th September 2019, following onto other e-readers after 3 months.

The story is about a group of activists, and one new member, who discovers their goal may not be the peace-keeping idea that she was led into thinking it might be.

Be safe out there my friends.

Zac Thraves is a writer and performer based in Maidstone, UK.

Ten Ways To Leave The Job You Hate

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 04:17:00 -0700

Today I received an email from my superiors reminding me of all the mistakes I have made and how to correct them; funny, I have never received an email highlighting all the things that I have done really well and to keep up the good work. Ah, local government, the art of making people feel like shit is not lost on them.

The best boss I ever had was my old stage manager at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, his name was John Sumner and he looked after his team, was fair, was excellent at his job and firm when he had to be.

The worst boss I have ever worked for is currently sitting in charge of Libraries, Registration and Archives for Kent County Council. I can't even remember the persons name, in this case anonymity is not a good thing.

Ten signs you know when it is time to hang up your boots and get the fuck out of that job:

12. When you wake up in the morning with the smell of hatred in your nostrils.

Isn't it ironic that kids these days love the song Radio Ga Ga by Queen, yet never listen to the radio.

13. When you are travelling to work and willing the bus to break down and leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere for days.

I love cartoons, and when I watch them I feel happy. It is important to feel happy. Statistically we are 59% less happy than we were a couple of days ago, where it was recorded that we were 74.5% happy. What happened? I can only surmise that the cartoon intake was less a couple of days ago. In order to bring our happiness ratio back up, here is a cartoon for your general enjoyment.

Isn't it queer that general and genital sound almost identical. I bet that causes fun in the army.

9. When you arrive at work and feel an utter sense of bewilderment, bafflement, loss, panic and anxiety. That you wish you had a big red button that would cause the office to implode, with you sitting right in the middle of the carnage.

We all make decisions in life, for instance, when we wake we decide whether to breath or not. This proves how important it is to make good decisions based on evidence, fact-sourcing and positivity. Meaning, that if you really want to leave your job...

HAVE A PLAN. Mind Your Business - in book form, it helps.

Oscar Wilde once said-

JUST BE YOURSELF BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN.

And I would like to finisē this weeks' blog with a little bit about imagination.

You have a wonderful imagination, and it is vital that you exercise it. Just think of it as a working part of your body that needs to go to the gym. In order to make a better life for yourself you need to imagine a better life; your subconscious will the set you on the path to make it happen.

Make it happen. Life is short. Life is important. In the immortal words of E.T.:

BE GOOD

Buy classic movie, E.T. right here

How To Survive...A Broken Cup of Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 07:15:00 -0700

...

Have you ever stopped dead in your tracks, taken a glance at where you are, and realised that you are walking in the absolute opposite direction to where you wanted to be?

If you have answered yes, then you could say that you're f****d; yet, there is an answer so simple that it will astound your mind!

...Turn around...

It doesn't matter how far down the wrong road you've gone, turn that shit around and get back on track. Leave behind the crap, kick all the crap into the kerb; turn around and don't for one minute regret anything. The simple act of turning around is reward in itself.

To combat the tendrils of depression, I turn to games; there are fewer better games in the world than Daley Thompson's Decathlon (1984 Ocean Software). I get my little Spectrum + and pound away at keys Q and W in order to make the little sprite run faster. It's a joy, and the lesson is to do something joyful that reminds you that you are ok.

Perhaps there are better games, I can only think of Saboteur or Tomb Raider. More to come.

Another accepted form of defence against the broken cup is to learn a musical instrument; this works two ways, first of all you get the enjoyment of a musical piece which brings song to your heart, and then you also get to annoy everyone else in the entire universe if you can't play properly. A lesson then perhaps to learn the basics (lessons can be found on Youtube). I consider the kazoo to be a very fine instrument, and relatively easy to master. They can be bought from all good toy stores, and even (wait for it) at Amazon itself.

Get Your Kazoo from Here

A generally accepted form of punishment for mice is the cheese-tease; this ancient art of torture requires a slab of cheddar sticky-taped to a wooden board housing a spring mechanism. The mouse would then react to the sweet smell of cheddar and thus get snapped into the jaws of the mechanism.
There is a human version, where alcohol replaces the cheese. You can find the human version in most high streets and is quite often referred to as a kebab shop.

While all that is interesting, it does not offer succinct advice for surviving a broken coffee cup; this is because there is very little one can do.

Finally, I have one small widget of advice, always wear sunglasses in the company of strangers. For this I have two reasons, because everything comes in two's; first off...never let anyone see the confusion in your eyes unless you are doing it on purpose, and second, the disguise is handy for when you need to gaze around the room or area in search of someone more interesting to talk to - because ultimately it all boils down to being interesting. Some of us are and some of us aren't, and no amount of broken cups of coffee are ever going to change that.

Stay brave out there my friends. Zac Thraves is a writer and performer from the UK.

Catch my new book, set in the wonderful and poetic world of theatre, right here:
Once the Lights Go Out from Spiked Imagination

Mindfulness & Movies & 80's and Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 8 Aug 2019 05:13:00 -0700

MINDFULNESS has become the watchword of this decade, simply because, we are going through an extreme phase of depression and anxiety, possibly fuelled by lifestyle and work balance. While managers and executives only take a look at the spreadsheet, the rest of us are looking into each others eyes and seeing confusion, burnout and frustration.

While in school, our next generation are still being taught as if they were heading to the factory, keeping their heads down and only speaking when they are spoken to. In modern terms, go and sit in an office for 8 hours a day at least, don't turn away from the screen and watch those arteries clog up!

There are answers, and one of them is mindfulness.

I am currently studying to become a Mindfulness Coach, and in the last module I learnt how beneficial it is to your mental and physical health to meditate. When I say meditate, I don't mean crossing your legs and sitting in a corner with your thumb and forefinger lightly touching, humming away and rocking back and forth. I mean real mind cleansing, and the best thing to do is just to:

FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING, AND NOT ANYTHING ELSE.

The trouble I have found is when you work in a busy environment finding somewhere to do this is very difficult, but then I learnt something else: meditation takes on many forms, it can be gardening, sitting and watching, listening to music, reading.

So that got me wondering if movies can be used as a way to ease anxiety and make you feel good about yourself, give yourself a break, remove that cloud that hovers over your head. The answer to that in my course was that television and the like are stimulating and therefore, not relaxing. SO...that got me thinking again, and I wondered if you could watch a movie that was as silly as much as exciting, that did not have violent images, did not challenge the brain too much, that you could just kick back and enjoy for 90 minutes, would that count?

And if so, the only decade you could find such a collection of movies would be......

The 1980's

Which is great because I bloody love the movies from the 1980's and am pretty sure that Ghostbusters, The Goonies, Back to the Future, Return of the Jedi, Weird Science and others would not in any way force any unwanted stimulation but simply allow me to breathe and be happy.

So now I am in development for a talk/workshop where I use the medium of film, circa 1980's, to help guide our brains through times of anxiety and stress. Think of it like this, you can stick on Back to the Future, which has a running time of short of 2 hours, and allow yourself a break from the trials and tribulations of modern life. I would recommend not watching this on a phone, and I would recommend not watching it on a PC where you can be interrupted by emails and things; just sit back, have a cup of something, get a treat for yourself like Maltesers, and enjoy.

The very act of removing yourself from the stressful situation, calming your breathing and allowing your brain an break, can be enough to see you through those times. What better movie than Back to the Future as a starting point. The film is funny, it has drama, it has romance and it has music.

Please stick with me as I explore alternative ways to ease the pressure, I am convinced that many answers to our trials are there in the world of arts, of which cinema is one. For years we have been using it as an aid, yet it is never considered as a serious form by politicians and academics. Why? I don't know, it brings billions to the economy and offers loads of jobs. The arts is far more valuable to our society than the banks...in my opinion.

Zac Thraves is a writer and performer from the UK. His latest book, Once the Lights Go Out is now available as Amazon.

80s Movies - Am I Becoming An Old Man!

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 08:38:00 -0700

I'm in danger of becoming the type of person who states that things were always better in my day. A statement which I hated in my youth, back then citing that the 50's and 60's were better. The trouble is, looking back to my idling days of the 80's in comparison to now, I have to accept that indeed... THINGS WERE BETTER BACK THEN!

I'm talking about arts and media, not necessarily tech or money, and certainly not in my life. I just hark back to the products released by Hollywood, the likes of Warner Bros and Universal, were pretty cool. Just look at the output from 84 and 85: Gremlins, The Goonies, Back to the Future, iconic movies that have lasted the test of time.

Also though I like the fact that these are stories with great characters, little violence and...dare I say it, all coming in under 2 hours. Every Marvel movie now seems to be drawn out, much like Star Wars. The original came in under 2 hours (although the special edition has taken it over); The Last Jedi came in at 2h 32m. Not a lot more, but my brain and arse certainly felt it was. The story, unlike the original, was just not engaging enough and a whole chunk of that movie should have remained on the cutting room floor. I miss the days of 90 minute movies that had you laughing and excited and left you wanting more. I don't feel that anymore, I want less!

Because the story has to come first, in anything. Engaging stories in the 80's gave us Aliens, The Terminator, Nightmare on Elm Street, Platoon, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, E.T. and the trouble now is that studios trying to recreate that can only think to do it again, but that's not the answer, they should be trusting in original stories that capture imaginations. Just like they did back then.

The only industry this seems to be happening in is games. From my early Spectrum games of Spy Hunter, Dragon's Lair and Batman we have moved on huge leaps, from Tomb Raider to the current Spider-man game, the graphics and engagement and story are amazing. That is why the games industry is so massive, and taking the audience away from the movie theatre. It's not just because of immersive entertainment, it is also down to engaging stories that excite and entertain.

Current worth of the US games industry is $134.9b - the US movie industry is worth $41.7b with the worldwide industry combined just beating the US games industry with a worth of $136b.

Are storytellers and creators heading away from the predictable inflexible movie industry and charging their creativity in the games? I would expect so. The releases this year from the largest company in the form of Disney are remakes and sequels. Yes, crowds are going, but there has to be a point when enough is enough and the audience become tired of this.

To combat this tedium in my life I am returning to the 80s, watching the likes of Tron, Beverly Hills Cop, Stand By Me et al. The soundtracks were good, the stories were good, the creativity was there. Yes, the effects may be dodgy, but ever so clever and what fun to have been working on with those models and gore!

Watch John Carpenter's The Thing, and then marvel at how wonderful it would have been to have made the alien model and brought it to life. It looks amazing, and it was all created by talented model-makers.

So, check them out, give the decade a go. I agree there was rubbish, but there are more gems in that decade than in any other I have seen since.

The Gimlet, the Cocktail and Marlowe and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:36:00 -0700

As I write, the UK swelters within the grip of a heatwave; destruction and chaos stir in the air, madness appears to be the only way forward.

The streets are lost to the vigilantes. We must be pure, be resilient and Be Brave.

from The Glass Web

So I've been reading (as a writer it is an unfortunate part of the job) and delving into the humid and heady streets of LA with private investigator Philip Marlowe. Whilst reading The Black Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black I was immediately grateful during this weather to receive a piece of Marlowe-esque advice with regard to settling down to sleep after a tough and hot day: The Gimlet.

It's gin, plus lime juice cordial plus a hint of fresh lime, shaken in ice and served with peel. I gotta say, it's bloody delicious and after two you are ready to hit that hay for a good nights sweat/sleep.

The Gimlet at Forgotten Cocktails

The description in the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye stated that "a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose's lime juice and nothing else". Wikipedia

The drink became popular in 1953 when Raymond Chandler published The Long Goodbye, but its origins are said to come from the Navy, as a medicine to try and cure scurvy. Rose's lime cordial was produced as a way of storing limes without using alcohol, and Chandler's recipe in his book states that Rose's is the one you go for when creating this marvellous drink.

It's taste is both sharp and bitter, that hit of alcohol adding to that. It must be served ice cold and drunk with little time for the drink to lose its chill, meaning that when the dial hits 40c you need to go in fast and loose. The lime gives a perfect sharpness as well as that satisfying refreshment which comes from the citrus. The hit you get from the gin, and it is a big hit, is tempered by the lime; you could get drunk, and fast, if you had these coming at you every fifteen minutes.

Like Marlowe in the heat of LA, sitting in the confines of my home in the heat of Maidstone makes me lust after something cool and refreshing to appease the sweat glands and the throat; also to lift the spirits and make the world appear less like a small planet burning up in space because humans seem incapable of not destroying themselves. Perhaps climate change is a case for Mr Marlowe to solve, and the culprits are the usual Chandler creations of money and power that haunt the coast of California.

So I give you all The Gimlet; not, as it sounds, a creature from Lord of the Rings, but a drink, a cocktail of Hollywood that offers the fancy and the class of old Hollywood. Created in an era of sophistication in the studios and a time of big, great movie stars who's names would appear in capital letters.

A glamorous drink from a glamorous age. Give it a go.

Have we lost the art of original storytelling? 80s and Now.

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 04:03:00 -0700

During the last few days I have been thinking quite heavily at how things were different in the 80's, the decade which has informed me the most. During that time I was heading into my teens, and I was about the same age as The Goonies and getting to be like Marty McFly.

Of course, I do realise that things have changed since, the fashion, music, society. But what I was thinking mainly about was the emotional attitudes of us as kids in relation to now, and I think that some of the difference comes from the media we were exposed to then and what we have now.

Looking at the top ten movies in the US during the 80's, there are two sequels; all the other movies are original content. Contrast that to the top ten for the last ten years and only one movie is an original, all the others are sequels.

Further still, while sci-fi is still the genre that brings us in, there was only one comic book movie in that 80's list, whereas in the last ten years we have had 3.

Now, this has got me wondering if there is a correlation to what we were like in comparison to today, and that we had heroes in our movies of the 80's who we could relate to. Unlike the new Star Wars and the super-powers of the Avengers. When we take in the heroes of the top ten list of the 80's, you have the likes of Tom Cruise as Maverick; Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley; Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones; plus Michael J Fox, Tom Selleck, and then Michael Keaton. All the main characters were humans we could emulate, and had stories which we could believe. Unlike now for instance, were there is no chance any one of us can become a super-soldier or build an iron suit.

I do wonder if this has any affect on our current kids state of mind. Now I don't believe the much lauded theory that kids today spend too much time on their computers. I had a computer when I was a kid, and I played games on it and I stayed up late sometimes and didn't leave the house for a day. So to use that excuse for kids behaving as they are is lazy and rubbish. Those same parents telling us that are my age, and probably spent a good portion of their childhood on a computer. But I do think that the media and arts has changed, and that popular movies from the 80's had better characters, and a better message.

I wanted to be Marty McFly, and I could; then I wanted to be Maverick, and I could do that. I could be cool and flippant like Eddie Murphy; I wanted to go on a road trip across The States, like in Rain Man, and I could. I wanted to be Indiana Jones, and I could do that.

These characters were held up as models for teens to emulate, you could watch the movie and then play the character. It was achievable. Whereas, I cannot be Captain America, or Black Panther, or Hulk. While they were interesting, they were not achievable, and therefore, not real. Tom Cruise was real.

What I am trying to say is how the movies have changed and how it affects the audience. While the Marvel movies are great, they are not giving us a dose of our reality. The Star Wars movies are tired retreads, and not worth the investment, they lack the excitement which the only sequels in the top ten of the 80's had.

Story was key back then, right up through the 90's it was story and originality which got us going and got us excited. That seems to be lacking now.

Perhaps now is the time we need real heroes. People with flaws and stories and goals to get to. Not world destroying events but life events, learning and laughing and failing and trying.

TOP 10 80's Movies in the US (taken from Box Office Mojo)

1980 - The Empire Strikes Back
1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982 - E.T.
1983 - Return of the Jedi
1984 - Beverly Hills Cop
1985 - Back to the Future
1986 - Top Gun
1987 - Three Men and a Baby
1988 - Rain Man
1989 - Batman

Be Warped and Be Thoughtful...or GO MAD TRYING!

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 01:25:00 -0700

There is panic in the air!!

Not Brexit or Johnson; in my own small and tragic life!!

Panic breeds anger and resentment and despair and hatred and pushes a person into rash decision making and poor judgement.

To remedy this, you do absolutely nothing...

just remain calm and idle and thoughtful - in short, think.

We seem to be in a society where action = movement and momentum. Yet, action is also thought, and serious consideration of a problem.
Too often in this world our leaders, whether in the big picture or little picture, shift from one crisis to another offering little ideas as to what the whole thing actually is.

Take small minded managers, who whip up a frenzy in an office and lurch from one mess to another all the while giving no thought to what their actions are achieving. Small minded managers are equal to small minded politicians.

Who's learning from who?

If you take time out and go and sit in the park for instance, or to the woods, and you listen to the birds and the wind and give your brain a break from all that crucial world-saving decision making, then you might actually be rewarded with an idea and a vision - wow, a vision of a future that you can shape and there you realise that the crucial decision is not so crucial after all and is in fact, not so large, but you can dream it and feel it and touch it and see how small it is. You can put it in your pocket and carry it and lessen its power.

Thinking, thoughtful real strong thinking, is our greatest strength. Yet that kind of thinking is considered wasteful of time...how can taking time out to consider something and its impact seriously be a waste of time?

We live in a warped world. So here's a plan -

BE WARPED AND BE THOUGHTFUL!

I like navel-gazing (which is not sitting around watching a fleet of ships on the water, just in case you thought it was...even so, that might be good for changing the mindset). Navel-gazing is ridiculed by idiots who stumble through life with no thought for themselves or anyone around them. Yes, because that is so much better, right?

Ah, this place is driving me nuts.

Anyhoo, I have created a world where I can switch off the disasters of office life, of the UK, of being English, of being under-appreciated and under-paid - it's a world few are invited to as I don't wish to offend anyone.

Here it is -

...and other stuff.

Keeps me happy/sane/crazy/effervescent.

Just like a vitamin C fizz bomb does.

Soundtracks and their Influences John Williams the Genius

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 02:40:00 -0700

John Williams must be our greatest living composer of movie soundtracks. Do you agree with that statement?

Look at the facts laid down bare: Star Wars, all 9 of the ever decreasing turns are heightened by an always excellent score. Superman, that theme lives far longer in the memory than the actual series. Indiana Jones, without Ford, Spielberg and Williams there is no Indiana Jones (please take note Disney). Harry Potter; E.T. Close Encounters, Jaws... the list goes on -

in short some of the most memorable themes from the last fifty years are written by one man.

I ask because I recently watched The Royal Opera House Ballet perform Romeo & Juliet and was struck by how beautiful and powerful Sergey Prokofiev's score was. I noticed hints of Williams and Bernard Herrmann in there. This made me wonder who influenced the young John Williams?

I think an obvious source, with Star Wars in mind, would be Gustav Holst and his orchestration of The Planets. But I can hear more sources in his music, and an appreciation of Prokofiev as well as Tchaikovsky and perhaps Chopin. There is a lightness to his music in its tender moments, but his themes also carry a heroic bombast, these are the themes that stay with you long after you have left the movie theatre.

I noticed in Prokofiev's score the wonderful use of the strings section, which John Williams uses to mesmerising effect in The Empire Strikes Back sequence Rescue from Cloud City. Here the strings build quite gracefully while the Falcon races to rescue Luke Skywalker from the belly of the beast. The music is very dramatic, pushing you on the edge of your seat even when listening to it alone. What I love is that when listening to his compositions at home, I can almost play the movie in my head, and that is the mark of a memorable soundtrack which heightens the movie experience.

Listening to Romeo and Juliet I also heard hints of Bernard Herrmann. The entr'acte to Act 3 of Prokofiev's score is such a soft and beautiful violin piece which brought to mind the slow build of the Psycho soundtrack, notably the beginning in The City; as the camera pans down into the window of Marion and Sam's hotel room, the violins sweep along with our view. It makes for quite an experience on the screen, and again for another when listening to it in your own space.

Music is so important to the movie viewer. From the ballet of Chaplin to the heroism themes of The Avengers, music plays an enormous role in how we view characters and emotionally connect with the scenes being played out before us.

Many composers have stood out; John Barry, Michael Giacchino, Michael Kamen to name but a few in my timeline. But John Williams for me is the one; the guy who takes you back to a galaxy far, far away, or to a foreign dusty landscape with treasures buried beneath. His music gives me goosebumps nearly 40 years later and will live on way beyond his human years can take him.

He created the soundtrack of a generation in the truest sense. May he live long and prosper.

#johnwilliams #starwars #indianajones #prokofiev #bernardherrmann #theplanets

Zac Thraves is a writer and performer presenting around the country his ideas for the imagination...if you are intrigued, get in touch.

Our Imaginations are Our Greatest Strength

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Tue, 4 Jun 2019 02:53:00 -0700

I had a most wonderful dream the other night within which I was striding over a walkway, much like the kind you would find on an Imperial Star Destroyer with Darth Vader strolling back and forth. On either side of that walkway were large pictures in frames, and, like in Harry Potter, those pictures were moving.

What I had created in my mind were gateways to memories. What you could do was choose a place in your history where you wanted to return to, to change things or correct decisions, and then leap in off the walkway and into that alternate universe through the portal.

I suppose it is akin to looking down from heaven, as they do in films like It's A Wonderful Life or Carousel.

It also highlights the power of our imaginations. I can't remember what I dreamt last night, but that one was a biggie, and has remained with me. It was brought to vivid life while I slept and seeped into my consciousness. It could be a message, or it could be that in the future I write a book about memory portals that you can dive into. Who knows.

Our imaginations are wonderful things. Dr Mark Vernon is on record stating that when countries, organisations and individuals fall into a crisis they lose the power to imagine. I can see that, and it is quite apparent in the current world politics where we have leaders who can't imagine giving solutions based on statistics and previous outcomes. That is not a way forward, and certainly not progressive. It seems that as we panic, so logic takes control and we move into protective mode, shoving aside the childish idea of dreaming and imagining.

Yet our imaginations are our greatest strength.

Dr Vernon also tells us that when you're really in a crisis, you might also be surprisingly free; because it is in that moment, almost like the eye of the storm, that you can turn to the most radical of decisions.

I truly believe that we should trust and nurture our imaginations. Those who do have given us so much in our lives; from current tech to day to day tools that we use; from art on the walls to music in our ears, everything that we have has, at one point in time, been dreamed up.

So while our leaders continue to make stupid decisions based on bad logic, we must stick together and slip into our imaginations. Perhaps that way we can create a better future.

I have developed a talk based on this and I am attending schools across the South East of England; my aim is to give students a nudge and open their eyes to the power that lies within them. That power is the force of our imaginations.

Life - Keep it Surreal

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 24 May 2019 00:50:00 -0700

Life...

Bruce Forsyth used to sing that is was the name of the game and he wanted to play the game with us.

He also used to ask us if we wanted to go higher or lower, which was not a question about our state of mind.

So what's it all about...Alfie? Well, perhaps it is this:

Life is about how you see the world and how you react, and about you individually.

Meaning, that it is what you make of it. For instance, if you see life as pretty harsh having always dealt you a bad hand, guess what...it will be.

Picard: Make it so Number One.

If you see life as pretty crazy and chaotic and all you can do is ride the wave, then guess what...

I see life through a pair of binoculars set to surreal. Yes, it has its moments of harshness and unfairness, and if I wanted to sit and watch breakfast news every day I would leave the house ready to slit my wrists, so I don't watch that, and I don't do that, because however vital it is that we all buckle down and prepare for life after Brexit the ultimate reality is, who gives a fuck. It's not a biggie in my life. Losing my mother to cancer is a biggie in my life, not some useless politicians acting like fucking children.

Life is your life. Your own ideas and interpretations and needs and desires. In the great picture of my own life I don't witness a lot of violence or hatred, great. I know some people do and they have to choose their own life. Yet I still have my own demons and problems that I deal with. This idea that there is one single answer to everything is utter nonsense and leads me into thinking how surreal our world is if we think that we are one collective thought after another. Useless politicians think that just because one person says something that means everyone says it. Wrong. Go back to start.

Think about how you view the world, is it a bit crazy? Or is it plain dull? Perhaps it is a place of violence to be feared or excited by. Or maybe it you think that life ends when the football season does and only restarts in August; like a butterfly you emerge again. In which case you are all right, because that is your reality.

So while I wanted to say you in my message for this piece to keep it surreal for a good life, that is actually wrong. Keep it however you choose to keep it. It is your life, you choose it. And all that bull about it being unfair and you never do what you want is your choice. You choose to see life that way, and if you don't like that...guess what?

Change it.

Salvadore Dali's L'Enigme

There are many moments of surreal stuff that happen in my life. Mostly of my own making and thought processes. Sometimes it stops me and sometimes it spurs me on. But it is a tap of constant running thought dripping over the edges and falling into a wheel of fortune that churns the butter over the road that I walk. So while trying to halt it made me mad, I have learned to actually just go with it, enjoy it, explore it and generally just allow it in with a lovely pair of slippers and let it sit by the fire to think.

I don't have a fire, I live in a modern house where the designers considered the idea of a family all sitting together in one space and decided that was not a way forward to create a good atmosphere. So they didn't put a focal point in, it is now the television.

Therefore, I keep it surreal to make my own focal point. And there it is, my life in a nutshell. Today, it is something that I like.

Tomorrow could be very different, and that's what makes it beautiful.

In My Quest to be Noticed I Panic

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Thu, 16 May 2019 03:49:00 -0700

All writers and artists need one thing: to be noticed.

All writers and artists fear one thing: to be noticed.

It's a strange way of being, because part of you is desperate to be out there and sharing your masterpiece to the world; while there is a strong urge to place it in a draw and forget about it, moving on to a new piece of work far better.

So you can keep working and never sharing, and this gets you entirely NOWHERE.

There is art in getting your work out there and read and viewed and critiqued and loved and hated and admired. It requires heart and guts and you basically have to suck it up and just do it.

Because without revealing your work, all you will be is a pretend artist, and all artists want to be real.

I want to be real, instead of lounging in my imagination, so with that in mind I am launching myself into the real world using my imagination. It is going to be an onslaught of wild-eyed nuttiness and I intend to gt myself into the minds of others so as to get a chance of breaking down those barriers and seeking some recognition - good and bad.

Writers cannot write for everyone, there are always some who don't like what you do (the trouble is now they have a voice on social media instead of just their circle of friends); but all that is fine. Some people don't like salad, I don't like salad, but that doesn't stop my partner from eating salad. Salad is good but it is not for me.

(That was a review of salad)

So if you know anyone who wants a storyteller, a performer, a writer to attend a talk, let them know there are people here. I have loads of lovely Twitter friends needing to get noticed; I have loads of lovely Facebook friends who support my nonsense. I need gigs and attention, and I'm going to jolly well get it!

** ** $$ $$ ££ ££ ## ## "" !

I was searching through some old files the other morning and came across my rewrite of Romeo & Juliet, in this, they are vampires and therefore, cannot die. I have made a tragedy become a happy ending. So, what to do with this script?

Many years ago, probably 10, I gave the script to the Oast Youth group and they did a reading and loved it it. Perhaps there is a chance that my one-act happy ending R & J can go somewhere.

As I have been saying, you just got to put it out there.

For more strange ideas and quirks visit my Youtube channel, where I am performing as Hary. Or go to my website www.nadiemaan.weebly.com

Andy Kaufman Inspires the Marvel Cinematic Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Wed, 8 May 2019 04:19:00 -0700

There's a movie from way back in the old black and white days in the 1990's called Man On The Moon.

It's not about Neil Armstrong, that is more recent and called First Man. This one is about Andy Kaufman and stars Jim Carrey as the performer who pushed boundaries.

So what is there to say about this film? Well, it is directed by Milos Forman, who also made Amadeus (about another talent who was ahead of his time), and also stars the cast of 80's sitcom Taxi. It has been chronicled by Jim Carrey in his Netflix film Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond that he went a little crazy, channeling the spirit of Mr Kaufman and acting out in all sorts of strange ways, much to the distaste of cast members and the director.

Or is that part of the gag? Because when it comes to the career of Andy Kaufman you just don't know what is true and what is being played out for your entertainment.

He was not a comic, comedian or the like. He was an artist who wanted his audience to feel something extreme. With his stand-up he wanted it to feel uncomfortable as well as funny; for his wrestling he wanted to be hated passionately. At his shows, and the Carnegie Hall show is a real big-time circus, he wanted to audience to be entirely invested in the joy of life.

It was not all about laughs, it was about emotions and the power of them. If you were to laugh he wanted you to really laugh; equally, if you were to cry he would really want you to bawl. That is the power that a performer has.

So to think about that now, the only real equivalent at the moment in the world of popular entertainment is the most recent Marvel movie. In Endgame, (there are no spoilers here), the audience have become so invested in each character over a ten year journey that when something great happens it makes you very happy; and when something sad happens it tugs at those heart strings.

That is the power of story, the power of investment, and the power of the great art of creating and sharing worlds.

If I were a comedian, or, as I am, a plain old performer experimenting with ideas, I would look at Andy Kaufman and what he wanted to bring.

Life is a rollercoaster (as once sung) and we all experience extremes of highs and lows; we all go through awkward moments as well as times of fun or reflection. Andy's performances were all of that wrapped into an enigmatic bubble that executives of the time did not know what to do with.

Marvel have captured some of that magic; others are yet to move on.

Man On The Moon trailer from IMDB

Writing and Imagination Equals E-Books (WR + IM = EB's)

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:41:00 -0700

Moonraker - an example of music I like to listen to

The weather has been glorious over the Easter weekend; not that I typically celebrate Easter. But it gave a wonderful opportunity to sit in the garden amongst curious insects and low-flying birds.

There was also the opportunity to listen to the neighbours extremely loud music, which was incredibly loud and incredibly crap. The constant booming of the bass was enough to drive one mad or to drink (or both).

I am a music lover, and I enjoy all genres; but I don't enjoy being forced to listen to an awful bass line and bloody awful lyrics.

Enough is enough is enough...moaning that is...

The weekend was a success in other aspects, one was the successful completion of a book I was reading, the other was the successful completion of a book I am writing.

First of all, the reading: Jack the Ripper Case Closed, written by Gyles Brandreth featuring the comedy sleuthing duo of Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle. Quite brilliant, and revealing and expertly written.

The writing consists of a new idea for a series, of which this is number one. It is called Once the Lights Go Out and is a drama set within the world of theatre. I am producing novellas collected under one umbrella, tentatively titled Imagination Circus. These will be stories in one universe, but not connected. Sort of my homage to Amazing Stories or The Twilight Zone. I aim to get this on as an e-book asap.

Imaginations play more of a role in our daily lives than we think, and it is far more important than logic. While logic stops you from touching a flame, for instance, imagination gives you ideas of what to do with that flame. So stay with it, keep it there when you're walking about the town. I certainly need it, living in Maidstone!

Next up is dandy highwaymen - I have written a story and I would like to take it out there and into places to perform it. More next week...

Hastings on a Sunday and Feeling Inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 03:18:00 -0700

The sun was shining, and I felt that the day would be served best with a bag of chips and a view of the sea, therefore, we made our way from Maidstone down to Hastings.

The journey takes about an hour, and the universe was kind enough to grant us a perfect spot to park.

The sea air is so refreshing and it appeared that a great many people were attracted to the coast. The health benefits are frequently talked about, but mentally it lifts you to be outside in the sun, gazing out at the wide ocean and listening to the sounds of waves rolling into the shore. The crunch of the pebbles as we walk - the cry of gulls as they swoop low in the wind.

Hastings was also the scene of the COMMEMORATIVE MILITARY ROAD RUN 2019. And a wonderful collection of ex-army vehicles going back to WW2 were on display.

A most intriguing collection, my favourite being the Chrysler which reminded me of Batman's car from the 40's inspired animated series.

There is something bold and chic about that era's motor vehicles, a point towards the future, almost a sense of optimism even in times of hardship. When you place them next to our current crop of cars, the modern lot pale in comparison in their lifeless and characterless shells.

I love the quirkiness of Hastings and its bohemian air. It sort of falls between the artistic flavour of Brighton and the old-time feel of Eastbourne.

The side streets of curious shops, including a wonderful old emporium, reminded me of Daigon Alley from Harry Potter, and you could sense artistry and magic exuding from the bricks.

It really felt like a day to be inspired; the poet inside was reaching for words. When I came home I felt keen to write. And that came from a desire to eat a bag of chips on the beach.

Relaxation is just as important as hard work. As Jack Nicholson once wrote in The Shining on hundreds of sheets of paper:

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy

Therefore, I do recommend you take a break from time to time; reconnect to the elements, welcome in others and their ideas; drink in the sun and the buildings around you.

The Benefit of Thinking Idly

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Sat, 6 Apr 2019 02:18:00 -0700

I've recently been using Instagram to post poems (@28zacthrav) and have been struck by how mindless the algorithm is for choosing the videos and pictures that come on your feed.

I mean, just because I clicked onto a video of a fish swimming in a beautiful blue sea does not mean that I wish to be inundated with images of sharks and dolphins and divers. Equally, I happened to click on an image of how to promote your business, and now I am swamped with ideas and hints and tips for businesses and how rich people think.

What I have learned though is that the message being sent out for how to be rich is contrary to new books that I am reading on the subject. These images on Instagram must be ancient, because the world has moved on.

The majority tend to state that in order to succeed -

you should sacrifice leisure. Great.

I guess this opinion was born in the 80's, and grew into Gordon Gekko from Wall Street. Here was a man who hated lunch, let alone reading a book.

It is statements like that which make the arts such a dour career to take. It creates an impression that being an actor or writer is not a proper job. This has happened for centuries, and still we think that an artist is a rubbish thing who should do it for free. Do remember, that the arts helps to boost the economy with billions of pounds per year. It is a serious vocation and should be treated as such.

I understand the need to work hard, and there are some useful tips like respect money, forgive your past, have faith, visualize success. But sacrifice leisure?!

If you do that you are more or less slaying your imagination; if you want to succeed and bring something new and exciting to your world, you will need to listen to and nurture your imagination.

Otherwise you will only be following a path well trod, and you will not set a new example.

Einstein said that 'Imagination is far more important than knowledge'. Imagination is what moves us forward and tries to find answers to questions.

Now, our minds are like our bodies and need to stay fit; the best way to stay fit is with regular exercise. How do we exercise our minds?

Reading - Watching - Listening - Thinking - Exploring - Probing

Giving time to you to do all of those things. Learning and exploring the wonders of thought. You need to take time to simply sit and think.

Be idle; become a flaneur.

You may be struck with inspiration from a passage in a book, or perhaps by a line from your favourite Netflix show. A lyric from a song; a speech from Youtube. What this does is open your mind to questions and to explore theories. You can argue that statement is not correct and explore other possibilities. Business is about imagination, otherwise we would all be doing the same thing.

So, while I agree with a lot of these snippets of information, I think some of the advice is dangerous. Because work is not all about work, you can be inspired by play. Walk in the shoes you want to walk in, imagine the person you want to be and live the life that you want.

Life is for living, and sacrificing leisure is not living.

Power of your Imagination Workshop and Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:55:00 -0700

A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive… Einstein

My Imagination Workshop

I have created a workshop, though I do hate the term ‘workshop’ as it is neither work, nor a shop. Instead, it is a show about the power of your imagination. Where I speak, perform, introduce, my audience to their imagination and ask them to try to discover what it is that drives them.

What are your passions? What are your dreams? What are your fires of fuel?

Because, I know one thing that is true for many people, it is not sitting at a desk and pounding at a keyboard for the benefit of an ungrateful hierarchy.

Maybe it is just me, but I want us to soar!

I am a father and I struggle watching my children’s minds become mushed from their wonderful dreamlike youth to a more dejected and troubled teen. Because, for me, and for others in the world, getting older does not mean you should let go of your dreams.

Your dreams are your link to you.

So, my show (workshop) is about reconnecting to your imagination, and I preface this with giving an insight into all the brilliant minds that we have had in our history who have held onto their dreams and given us a slice of their magic.

If we did not have these dreamers and doers, we would not have Sgt Pepper, The Magic Flute, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Dictionary or Hollywood.

I use influential artists and history-makers to convince my audience that it is entirely possible to follow your own path and not the one that is being laid out before you.

Just think what it would have been like had John Lennon slumbered away in a warehouse and not taken the plunge into his imagination.

Too many of us are told, and my experience of school is exactly this, that we can’t do something because of some reason or another – SOME EXCUSE. After expressing an interest in theatre, television and film, I was told by my school careers adviser that I had no chance of doing that. A few years later I worked in the theatre and then got a job with the BBC. Ever since I have acted and appeared in a film and worked on location sets; I have created my own plays and projects and have stories produced. So much for that Mr Know-it-all!

If that is the message, we are giving each new generation, then what chance of making the world a better place? All it takes to change something is someone to think it, if that is followed through who knows what the end result could be. We need change, and our imaginations are where all that starts.

Dr Mark Vernon wrote an interesting piece for The Idler; when individuals, organisations or countries fall into a time of crisis they lose the power to imagine. The feeling is of being trapped and unable to see any way out of the situation. This leads to panic, perhaps breeds fear and ultimately can be disastrous, causing decisions to be made which won’t work.

There are many organisations in the UK with this problem, one of which is an organisation I work for and I imagine most county councils are in the same boat. This is also relevant to the Brexit debacle. But it also happens in our own lives with stress and anxiety, times of depression.

His article highlighted and gave strength to my own philosophy of the power of our imaginations and how important it is to our well-being and our future.

Logic only gets us so far, and only shows us what has been; imaginations can take us further and show us what could be. I would rather live for the future, than to be reminded of the past. Especially when most leaders of our current world do not acknowledge previous mistakes and plough forward with no thought or imagination.

So, my workshop is just about ready to go; to inspire and encourage; to lead and to embrace and to do all of the things our government should be doing for our people instead of bashing them down with a brick. I hope to open up minds to the ideas within our heads, and to explore the possibility to make them a reality.

After all, there is nothing wrong with playing, that is what shapes our future.

An Unhappy World Needs Changes and Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Zac Thraves ) — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 04:44:00 -0700

The world is an unhappy place. On the one hand you have climate change and on the other you have rising mental health problems. You have ignorance amongst the politicians and rising poverty. You have Disney behaving like one of its own monsters and you have artists being expected to give their work away for free.

The world is unhappy, or more to the point, the human race in unhappy.

It is time for a change…

Like that feeling when you wake up from the zombie-like state of gazing at a television which drones on and on and you realise that you are not connected to this message; that, the image being displayed means as much to you as a screen of fuzz. Picture the poster for Poltergeist, and then imagine that you are jolted awake by your heart and you bolt up.

What do you do in that situation? - You CHANGE CHANNELS

Change is the only thing that effectively makes your pain better, and yet the one thing that many of us fear the most is, change.

So, here’s a book which can help overcome such a thing: TRIBES, Seth Godin.

Buy Tribes from Amazon here

Here he explains to you how you can be a leader and how important it is to lead and not manage. Managers react to situations, which is divisive, disruptive and causes stress; leaders do not do those things - leaders see things and look into the far distance, they make things happen, they cause the reaction.

Personally, I am in an unhappy and undesirable situation. My working life, in that I mean the place where I must spend most of my waking time, is very poor. When I was tested for mental health, I would always have to fill out a questionnaire asking me how I was feeling on a scale of one to ten; ten being great and one being suicidal. My working life is ONE.

My imaginary working life is wonderful. I write and play with my imagination; record poems and devise my imagination workshop. However, the real-world bites and that morning slog into the office to fulfil my duties, of which I care less and less, is the worst part of a bad day.

Here is the career pattern which I have found myself in: I receive negative feedback, not positive, anything positive is kept silent. We are run by reactives, not forward-thinkers. I am bored. There is no progression. I have reached as far as I can go and there are no more challenges.

I guess, taking my own advice into my hands, that I need to change.

So the idea is to become a leader and learn from the words in TRIBES. Within those pages you are asked to challenge the status quo, to embrace your tribe and behave like a leader. To trust in your faith and not in religions. In short, to be true to you and what you want.

What I don’t want is this empty feeling anymore. What I do want is a challenge, to be rewarded both financially and mentally. To feel a sense of achievement. I want change.

So, my promise to myself is this: (written as film titles)

GET OUT

RAID THAT LOST ARK (OF THE IMAGINATION IN MY HEAD)

THE EMPIRE (ie. me) STRIKES BACK

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

INTO THE MULTIVERSE

And the immortal words of Bowie - CHANGES

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

(Turn and face the strange)

Be Punk, Creative, Bohemian, Corporate, whatever, JUST LEARN...