Whah? What's going on with this thread? Ape confuzzled.

Band - Bind (dropping the last two letters to get us back on track)

5940 (Get outta mah way, shortie)

Agggh. Poetry is so hard. Well, this one is. I am being a bit more formal, trying to keep a rhyme scheme and a bit of a meter going and it requires so much more thought than blank verse. I mean, my sunrise poem was literally bashed out on my phone on a lounge as I watched the sun rise at a resort in Cancun. Minimal editing and wham, up it went. But this one I am having to tease out each line, make sure it fits my meaning, then massage it into shape technically. I am worried I will end up with a solid poem technically, but lacking some of the joy and passion I usually pour into a poem. Which means, of course, that if something more flowing and spontaneous hits me, this one could still get shelved even after all this work.

Anyhow, that's my day so far. Coffee and a pot of Irish Breakfast tea are out for those what need 'em. Fresh iced tea is in the fridge, too.

Later, alligators.

And speaking of Ozzy, his new album is out and features collabs with a number of great guitarists including his old Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi.

Heavy metal and traditional Chinese instruments are an odd mix, but Taiwanese Youtuber Nini pulls it off regularly. Here she covers a metal classic from the eighties.

Quote by redwriter
How many royal dignitaries would allow themselves to be filmed leading James Bond onto a helicopter

That was a rather epic moment, even if also rather silly. But, hey, who but 007 could be trusted with delivering her to the opening ceremonies safe and sound, eh?

We are also observing a period of mourning until the funeral, traditionally 10 days, I think. We may also be getting a national holiday on the day of the funeral, or at least that's what happened in 1952 when her father died. 70 years between royal funerals means things may have to changed or at least tweaked.

And long live King Charles III. May he fare better than Charles I at the very least.😲😋

Coffee is hot and ready. Tea pots are filled to the tippy top with Red Rose and Cream of Earl Grey. Iced tea is ready for those needing a cold bevvie.

Time to enjoy a fun Friday (and hopefully not a freaky one).

There is no truth to the rumour that this is Elizabeth at her party. 😎

Happy Birthday!!! I hope you had a lovely day, Elizabeth, and celebrated in style.

I shall join in your toast to Her Majesty. 96 years on Earth and 70 on the throne is a good run by any standard. And she remained throughout that time very much the kind of monarch that even a definitely not-monarchist like me can admire, which is no mean feat.

And I don't know if you are kidding but if you want to include "and" in your poem, I imagine it will fit in somewhere. 😋

And the new scoring system is up and running. Just used for the first time on the first comp entry. Something fitting about that. 😊

And I see the new scoring system is up. Be interesting to see how this plays out in the comp.

Quote by verbal
Coffee and 45 cookies please, one for each line of poetry.

Keep that up and this comp is going to make you fat.🤣

Hi there, folks. Coffee is on and did a pot of Assam tea for us leaf drinker.

Tried a few poems and not sure I've got what I want yet. First one was good, but kind of dark, and I am not sure that's what I want for my first poem since the decadal birthday celebration.

Don't eat them anymore. Much prefer a bratwurst or other suitable sausage. A local company makes a nice garlic polish sausage that would work well (but we eat them other ways).

As verbs mentioned in Inspirations, the graphic for this one is excellent. Looks great on the main page.

Quote by verbal
I understand Rumps has been seen about!

Seriously? I haven't been over there in probably 24 hours. Forgot to take my phone home last night and that's how I usually access it (a 6" phone is more discreet than a 27" monitor).

Quote by verbal
I'm gonna bug Talia to enter too.

Tell her the ape said she should. Not that she cares. Your fair lady hasn't been seen around these parts in a long time so her entering would be worth it just to get her to visit.

Ahead lies a difficult journey.

Lovin' this new acoustic track from Brazilian alto Violet Orlandi.

Here comes the coffee,

Here comes the tea,

Here comes goodies for you and me.

Ahem. Just practicing for the new comp. Trust me, my entry will be much, much better than that.

And, yes, the coffee and tea are ready, including some iced tea in the fridge.

There's another announcement from Molly today about changes to how stories are scored and some other upcoming updates. Worth a read so you're ready when they arrive.

Site Updates | Stories Space

Have a nice one!

Fore - Fare (to get to the course)

This is how I've thought it should work for a long time now. Glad to see this. I do want to emphasize and second this:

Quote by Molly
As much as I’m sure all authors appreciate you indicating you like their work, the comments and feedback are really what helps authors know what works, what doesn’t, what has resonated with readers, etc, so we would encourage you to take a moment and comment on something you like.

I barely notice scores and likes. What drives me and what I want to see are good comments. A simple like or favorite doesn't tell me much about what the person liked or why they made that piece a favorite.

Prison must be made secure.

Yeah, the use of lines rather than words really delivers a lot of flexibility in length when it comes right down it. Long enough you can get something fairly substantial, but leaves room for something shorter like a sonnet.

I am working through something in my head already. Might end up as an ode in the vein of Horace, but in English (I assume writing it in Augustan Latin would be a no-no😋).

Mistaken identity causes false arrest.

Sire - Sore (me after lifting something heavy)

Quote by gillianleeza
No more tomatoes, but I am drowning in sweet and hot peppers.

Wish I lived nearby. We would happily relieve you of a few of those, at least the sweet ones. Hot would be iffy due to wife's sensitive stomach even though I like them.

Quote by verbal
a couple short stories are knocking at my brain's door

I'm toying with a couple. One is the new Tana-verse story, the other is a contemporary drama-romance that might end up too racy for here.

Yay! Poetry comp! I haven't written poetry in a while but this looks like a fun theme.

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

They wanted Rosie O'Donnell at first but I'm glad they got Drew instead. I'm probably biased though.

Nah, I've seen Drew do other hosting type gigs and I think he's a good choice for it.

And I am going to drop a link to my thread in Site Announcements & Feedback here. Please give it a read and whether you agree or think I'm out to lunch, I'd love to hear some replies.

https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/site-announcements-and-members-feedback/whither-storiesspace-i-think-we-need-to-have-this-conversation

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

Yeah, that's Drew Carey in my avatar. He's hosted since 2007 and I love him.

He's a comedian by trade (much like Jane) so things can get pretty hilarious at times cause he adlibs everything.

I know Drew, just didn't realize he got the Price Is Right gig. That's a tough act to follow given how long Barker was in charge.

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

Well, maybe it doesn't qualify as a big event to you, but I'm waiting for the new season of The Price is Right. We get the season 50 finale today and then season 51 starts on the 19th.

And no, this is not a new thing for me - I grew up watching it but didn't really watch it every day till October of 2007.

Who is hosting now? I don't pay much attention to the game shows or other daytime TV anymore. Or is your new avatar the answer?