Eland Dance will be the title of the book.
Here is a synopsis of the novel
Peter Fitt is forced to face the realities of the Sixties in Central Africa. In the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe greed and corruption fuel the growing turmoil. “Make Love not War” and “Peace and Love” are mantras often spoken, but rarely practised. Major forces are self-interest and each individual’s ideology. Red Communists, the Green agrarian Revolution, and the pervasive White Man’s way all have their partisans.
Old African beliefs about healing medicine and spirit powers come to the fore. A medicinal concoction should have three major parts, red, green, and white, to be fully effective, he learns.
Pete identifies with the spiritual herbivores of the world, the eland in San tradition, or unicorn in European mythology, against the predators, the exploiters, the lions. He is a defender, not an aggressor.
He helps with a development project in Zambia. In this he uses a Soviet aeroplane to transport fish to a lake straddling the southern border. The Russians take this opportunity to supply arms to the Rhodesian regime. While they claim to be peace lovers, in fact the Communists try to escalate the civil war, in order to assist their cadres into positions of power in the future Zimbabwe. Shit rises to the top when stirred. Thus they supply arms to both sides.
Pete shoots his girlfriend’s brother when he tries to prevent a gunfight between now well armed Rhodesian and Zimbabwean forces. Pete realises his culpability in this and other events. He can’t stop the war, or corruption and selfish power seeking, he can only look around for opportunities to assist others against these, and to influence the outcome of the war.
He helps to expose a Revolutionary, Bad Boy, who illicitly sells arms and ivory. This man is forced to go into Rhodesia on active service, which he has avoided. He is captured and jailed. Pete meets Marjorie’s mother and brother, and must try to explain and apologise
Later, Pete realises that those sitting out the war in captivity may become a large part of any new regime, while idealists who continue to fight on the front lines suffer high mortality. He helps with an amnesty/surrender deal between the Rhodesians and the Freedom Fighters. Pete is able to persuade some leaders that this is a good idea
Pete meets his spiritual other half, a one horned eland he had rescued from a fire years before, and is reunited with Marjorie. Despite the intervention of Bad Boy, the amnesty is a success.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Trying a different Template
I wanted to put in a link to my writing blog, and had so much difficulty that I have changed the template,and I think have now added the link in the sidebar.
Faceboook
I have started a Facebook page, and so far have three Fans. Also I now have a synopsis of the novel (Eland Dance) there and posted on my Writing Blog, which is
swazz7C.
All this takes time, but right now I am snowed in anyway. Minus about 12 or 15 out there and lots of blowing snow.
Sylvia has just brought me a nice young rat. She seems quite proud of herself. I am going to do a little disposal now, while she is elsewhere.
swazz7C.
All this takes time, but right now I am snowed in anyway. Minus about 12 or 15 out there and lots of blowing snow.
Sylvia has just brought me a nice young rat. She seems quite proud of herself. I am going to do a little disposal now, while she is elsewhere.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
December 08
Really winter now, and I cant find wood pellets for the stove. Luckily it is actually made to burn logs, not pellets, or there would be a real problem. They have pellet stoves on sale everywhere, but no fuel for them. I made a basket to hold pellets in the firebox last winter, and that works quite well. You have to load in fuel every few hours, with no screw feed, as there would be in a purpose built pellet burner.
Just writing what is on my mind right now, realised I really should keep this blog up to date.
Have just about finished my book, and tentatively given it a title, Eland Dances.
Soon I shall have to find a publisher-- a major undertaking.
I have a poem published (Surprise!) on Willows Wept Review, and have sent stories out to several magazines.
Just writing what is on my mind right now, realised I really should keep this blog up to date.
Have just about finished my book, and tentatively given it a title, Eland Dances.
Soon I shall have to find a publisher-- a major undertaking.
I have a poem published (Surprise!) on Willows Wept Review, and have sent stories out to several magazines.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
negative ramblings
Snow lies heavy and long around here, big storm yesterday, highways and airports had big problems. March break, great timing.
Personally I worked yesterday 5am to 3pm, which came after working night shift 11pm to 7am for the past while. That leads to a definite fuzzy brain syndrome, never enough sleep.
Since the factory is going to close permanently this summer I have to grab money while its available, work any overtime offered.
Will get a pension as of May 31st, which will be my last day at Siemens. Not really enough to live on, but better than a slap with a wet fish.
Someone asked what i think of GM foods - well the idea in itself follows what nature does already (bacteria borrow genetic material, so do viruses). However scientists and marketers are not the best combination to ensure everything is properly safeguarded and thought out. Same pêople who insist nuclear power is both safe and pollution free, as well as cheap. Sure it is safe, statistically a low accident rate. Problem is accidents can be very very damaging and with widespread consequences. Pollution similarly is low when looked at through a very narrow time frame- say the 3 year contract or tenure time of a plant manager - but lasts for 10s of thousands of years. Costs, again, are low if looked at over a short term, and use creative accounting that ignores government subsidies and repair and scrap disposal costs. We here in Ontario pay a surcharge on every electric bill for "debt disposal" which is to pay off the large debt incurred by the nuclear plants here.
Sorry, back to GM foods, which is supposed to be the subject. Plants can get disease resistance or extra protein content or whatever by adding genes from elsewhere, but obviously this is only a good thing when using the good ol narrow lens view.
Their modified genes spread outside the field they are planted in, regardless of Monsantos insistence otherwise. Short term demand for profit means testing for negative consequences is limited in scope and duration. Again, like nuclear, these consequences extend well beyond the tenure of their initiators.
So then, like in the nuclear industry --
Accidents do happen, when they do they spread very widely.
Costs are to others, not the producing companies, so dont count.
Consequences are very long lasting.
Personally I worked yesterday 5am to 3pm, which came after working night shift 11pm to 7am for the past while. That leads to a definite fuzzy brain syndrome, never enough sleep.
Since the factory is going to close permanently this summer I have to grab money while its available, work any overtime offered.
Will get a pension as of May 31st, which will be my last day at Siemens. Not really enough to live on, but better than a slap with a wet fish.
Someone asked what i think of GM foods - well the idea in itself follows what nature does already (bacteria borrow genetic material, so do viruses). However scientists and marketers are not the best combination to ensure everything is properly safeguarded and thought out. Same pêople who insist nuclear power is both safe and pollution free, as well as cheap. Sure it is safe, statistically a low accident rate. Problem is accidents can be very very damaging and with widespread consequences. Pollution similarly is low when looked at through a very narrow time frame- say the 3 year contract or tenure time of a plant manager - but lasts for 10s of thousands of years. Costs, again, are low if looked at over a short term, and use creative accounting that ignores government subsidies and repair and scrap disposal costs. We here in Ontario pay a surcharge on every electric bill for "debt disposal" which is to pay off the large debt incurred by the nuclear plants here.
Sorry, back to GM foods, which is supposed to be the subject. Plants can get disease resistance or extra protein content or whatever by adding genes from elsewhere, but obviously this is only a good thing when using the good ol narrow lens view.
Their modified genes spread outside the field they are planted in, regardless of Monsantos insistence otherwise. Short term demand for profit means testing for negative consequences is limited in scope and duration. Again, like nuclear, these consequences extend well beyond the tenure of their initiators.
So then, like in the nuclear industry --
Accidents do happen, when they do they spread very widely.
Costs are to others, not the producing companies, so dont count.
Consequences are very long lasting.
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