Tag: Human spirit

Original writing2 Comments

Something to Warm Your Heart on a cold December Day

franklparker

I didn’t set out to do this at first, but the notion of sharing one post each day from the many that arrive in my in-box seems to have grown on me. Some might say it’s a lazy way of blogging, but when there’s material to delight like this story from Sally Cronin’s collection “What’s in a Name” I can’t help feeling I’m providing a useful service. via Guest Author #SallyCronin ~ Grace, a Christmas Story from What’s in a Name? Continue reading Something to Warm Your Heart on a cold December Day

UK politics, World Affairs5 Comments

A Heartfelt Plea

franklparker

This post from Tina Frisco certainly made me re-evaluate my response to last year’s referendum result in the UK. Am I motivated by anger or by a genuine concern for those I believe will be most harmed by the consequences of implementation of the result? Or by hatred for the men who used their influence and their persuasive lies to swing the result that way? If I’m honest, I have to say ‘all three’ and I hope I’ve made that clear in my many posts on the subject. I hope, too, that my hatred of the promoters of the ‘leave’ … Continue reading A Heartfelt Plea

British History, Irish History 1845-51Leave a comment

Rhode Island Remembers the Irish Famine

franklparker

https://videopress.com/embed/RgxNbiN3?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0 A larger-than-life statue of three Irish figures sits on a round stone base, bordered by a walkway that incorporates the donor-bricks and flagstones. The walkway leads to a commemorative wall that narrates the history of the Great Hunger amid Irish immigration. The sidewalk beneath the wall incorporates an outline map depicting the coasts of America […] via The Great Hunger Memorial, Providence, Rhode Island — Stair na hÉireann/History of Ireland Continue reading Rhode Island Remembers the Irish Famine

Original writing, Publication1 Comment

What a difference a year makes…

franklparker

Juliet Nubel was born in Glasgow but now live in France. She began revealing her writing to the public just a year ago, as she explains below. She is one of the 20 authors who  have contributed to the anthology “The Box Under The Bed”. Her story is heart-breakingly tragic rather than “scary” in the usually accepted sense. It occupies just two pages at the end of which you find yourself asking “what would I have done in that situation?” A situation, by the way, faced by many people every day. Source: What a difference a year makes… Continue reading What a difference a year makes…

PublicationLeave a comment

Being Published in “The Box Under The Bed”

franklparker

Another of my fellow contributors to the scary anthology describes the experience. I have just revisited Adele’s story to remind me of its brilliance. It is a remarkable achievement to combine the slowly building tension of a classic horror story with a powerful statement about attitudes to mental illness. But it is just one of 27 tales from 20 different authors in this book. A cornucopia of stories to set your skin creeping and your blood curdling. Perfect for Halloween or any dark night. Source: Being Published in “The Box Under The Bed” Continue reading Being Published in “The Box Under The Bed”

Reviews, World AffairsLeave a comment

Terror and Liberalism: a book review

franklparker

A few days ago one of my Facebook friends shared a meme that listed all the towns and cities in Britain that have Muslim mayors. The clear message was that this is a trend that ought to worry us. I thought of that message whilst reading Paul Berman’s 2004 polemic Terror and Liberalism. He has a lot to say about the complacency of Liberals and their failure to recognise the true nature of past manifestations of totalitarianism. It is, he acknowledges, easy, perhaps too easy, to attribute the actions of Islamist terrorists to some rational cause. A reaction, perhaps, to … Continue reading Terror and Liberalism: a book review

World Affairs2 Comments

The Proper Response to Famine

franklparker

How should we respond to disasters? Natural events – earthquakes, floods, forest fires – usually evoke an outpouring of sympathy accompanied by the dispatch of all manner of aid. Engineers, medics, machinery and food are flown in to the disaster area to ensure that victims receive succour. Appeals raise millions of dollars to support such efforts. Is our response to famine different? Should it be? Are we more inclined to seek the cause of the catastrophe before making a commitment to assist? How deeply ingrained in our knowledge of Judao/Christian history is the story of how Joseph taught his Egyptian … Continue reading The Proper Response to Famine

General posts1 Comment

Reed, Andrew:#atozchallenge

franklparker

Andrew Reed was a Congregationalist minister with a doctorate from Yale who encouraged philanthropy on a grand scale. Many of the schools and hospitals he founded live on to the present day. Perhaps Rev. Dr. Andrew Reed’s most extraordinary talent was for social networking. For it was surely his ability to extract donations from the rich and famous of Victorian England that enabled him to found so many institutions, including: Churches Orphanages Schools Asylums Hospitals D.D from Yale Born in St Clement Danes in Middlesex, England on November 27th 1787, he studied theology at Hackney Academy and was ordained a … Continue reading Reed, Andrew:#atozchallenge

World Affairs1 Comment

Nightmare revisited

franklparker

A few days ago I wrote a piece under N (for nightmare) in the atoz challenge. I tried to imagine what it must be like to experience what Syrian, and other refugees, have experienced, and continue to experience. I wish I had expressed it as well as this lady does. The link should take you to a Facebook post. https://www.facebook.com/notes/amanda-buessecker/why-its-not-cool-that-my-new-next-door-neighbours-are-syrian-refugees/10154105544404668 Continue reading Nightmare revisited