Discussion thread - SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE July 2013

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the runners-up Ursa, and well done Glen!

 

[NovaZero]

Congratulations, Glen. Well-earned.

 

[AMB]

Also missed voting. I've been so busy this latter half of the month I didn't have the chance to read all the entries.

Still, thanks to Cul for the vote, and well done Glen!



Because I promised Perp:

My story was based on the third and final voyage of James Cook, to seek the Northwest Passage. Cook had a map published by Jacob von Stählin that suggested Alaska was an island, and that there was a wide strait that a ship could sail through to the North. The expedition had orders to ignore inlets south of 65°N, where the passage was thought to lie.

Cook set sail in the Resolution (William Bligh was Sailing Master), with Clerke accompanying him in the Discovery. Together they sailed along the coastline, and mapped a good old chunk of the Alaskan coast. They discovered no strait, because Alaska is a peninsula.

They carried on past 70°N, rounding the peninsula at the Bering Strait and turning east only to hit an impassable icy cape. Cook decided it was too late in the year to go further -- it was August -- and they were forced to turn back, but not before killing a number of walruses living in the area which the men were subsequently unwilling to eat. They headed for Siberia with the hope of a Northeast passage to England. When this failed they made for Hawaii.

I mistyped the date in the title. it should have been 1778, not 1788. Stupid fingers.

To round off the history lesson, Cook was killed in Hawaii in a dispute with some natives, and Clerke took charge of the Resolution, with John Gore captaining the Discovery. Clerke decided to return to the North Atlantic. He died of consumption and was buried on the Kamchatka peninsula, west of the Bering Sea. Gore was left in charge of the expedition, and he slowly made his way back to England. One of the Discovery's midshipmen, George Vancouver, returned to the area in a new ship, also named Discovery in tribute to the ship he had served in, some years later and mapped the Canadian coast. He determined the Northwest Passage did not exist at latitudes south of the Bering Strait. Any passage further north would be encumbered with polar ice and therefore impractical to use.

John Gore's grandson, Graham Gore, lost his life on Franklin's ill-fated expedition to find the Northwest Passage nearly 70 years after his grandfather's voyage. Presumably Franklin ate him, and the Wendigo got Franklin.

 

[cab]

Congrats to Glen.

 

[Boneman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boneman
crowoperative - Can we ban Chrispy? I hope your leg gets better soon and welcome back (I assume back is correct) to the UK, house moves are stressful affairs - I may have one of my own soon, I'm not looking forward to it!

Well, no reason not to try. After all, this is not a democrowcy; you merely have to convince I Brian that I scare more potential members off than I intrigue. None of these "grass roots support". I'd be interested to know what you'd put on the "reasons to be given" field, though:- cruel and unusual misuse of the English language, inappropriate to a pedant", perhaps?

Despite my nomad years, this is my first ever house move; and I have every intention of making it my last.

CONGARATS Greg!

Anyone moving to west sussex deserves all the help they can get, so welcome here!! For some reason, you've attributed Bowler 1's remark to me, above... cruel and unusual misuse of avatars, I'd say!

 

[crystal haven]

Congratulations, Glen!

 

[Phyrebrat]

I'll post properly when I get back from France on Friday - data plan is trés expensive, and limited to use on my Iphone which is a laborious task when it comes to quoting and posting.

But in the meantime, congratulations Glen - you were on my unposted short list so I'm pleased you won. Also thank you for the mentions of my appalling story; I genuinely had nothing but really did not want to break my run of entering the challenge. For what it's worth it has it's origins IRL; my best friend Keturah made me Godfather to her children - they call KFC Ketty's favourite chicken.

<sigh>

pH

 

[Perpetual Man]

Also missed voting. I've been so busy this latter half of the month I didn't have the chance to read all the entries.

Still, thanks to Cul for the vote, and well done Glen!



Because I promised Perp:

My story was based on the third and final voyage of James Cook, to seek the Northwest Passage. Cook had a map published by Jacob von Stählin that suggested Alaska was an island, and that there was a wide strait that a ship could sail through to the North. The expedition had orders to ignore inlets south of 65°N, where the passage was thought to lie.

Cook set sail in the Resolution (William Bligh was Sailing Master), with Clerke accompanying him in the Discovery. Together they sailed along the coastline, and mapped a good old chunk of the Alaskan coast. They discovered no strait, because Alaska is a peninsula.

They carried on past 70°N, rounding the peninsula at the Bering Strait and turning east only to hit an impassable icy cape. Cook decided it was too late in the year to go further -- it was August -- and they were forced to turn back, but not before killing a number of walruses living in the area which the men were subsequently unwilling to eat. They headed for Siberia with the hope of a Northeast passage to England. When this failed they made for Hawaii.

I mistyped the date in the title. it should have been 1778, not 1788. Stupid fingers.

To round off the history lesson, Cook was killed in Hawaii in a dispute with some natives, and Clerke took charge of the Resolution, with John Gore captaining the Discovery. Clerke decided to return to the North Atlantic. He died of consumption and was buried on the Kamchatka peninsula, west of the Bering Sea. Gore was left in charge of the expedition, and he slowly made his way back to England. One of the Discovery's midshipmen, George Vancouver, returned to the area in a new ship, also named Discovery in tribute to the ship he had served in, some years later and mapped the Canadian coast. He determined the Northwest Passage did not exist at latitudes south of the Bering Strait. Any passage further north would be encumbered with polar ice and therefore impractical to use.

John Gore's grandson, Graham Gore, lost his life on Franklin's ill-fated expedition to find the Northwest Passage nearly 70 years after his grandfather's voyage. Presumably Franklin ate him, and the Wendigo got Franklin.

Thanks AMB, filled in the gaps nicely and even filled the spaces between your story and mine from the month before. I did not realise that there was that generation crossover on the crew. Fascinating.

That last line about the wendigo, just brilliant.

 

[Glen]

Thanks again for all the congrats, you are all too kind.
I should be careful what I wish for - I need to work out a theme/genre
*** sound of wracking brains ***

What's the deal - do I post the August threads, or does someone competent do that...?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ha, the choosing of the theme... the poisoned chalice. I was still pretty new when I had to choose one, and I got Ursa to put the thread up for me, Glen. I think others do it themselves. The show offs.

 

[Glen]

Ha, the choosing of the theme... the poisoned chalice.

:0)

Also, I need to apologise for an egregious error in my last post. It didn't look right and I had to go check it out:
“Wracking” or “Racking” Your Brain?

 

[jastius]

so if you wrack your brain you are scottish and if you rack it you are english?

that is about what i got out of that..


i wonder if the scottish people go around saying the english are brain rackers not brain wrackers..

 

[Bowler1]

Anyone moving to west sussex deserves all the help they can get, so welcome here!! For some reason, you've attributed Bowler 1's remark to me, above... cruel and unusual misuse of avatars, I'd say!

What??? You don't like my avatar?

The only evidence I can provide in my case to have Crispy banned is the creative misuse of English - a campaign that’s not going to illicit much in the way of support on this forum. So when all else fails in the face of “democrowcy” and like any seriously aggrieved minority I’m taking up arms. RAY GUNS of course, and this is not just an excuse to go around the place blasting away like some nut job, as if I would? I’m taking up arms to defend CROWS (a leap of faith is needed here, but stay with me!), who have been badly tarred and feathered and have had their reputations darkened in this month’s writing competition - the 300 and not this wonderful 75 word competition. With that I’m taking my campaign off to the 300 discussion, via the shooting range where my stash of RAY GUNS are.

Volunteers are welcome.

Bowler1 scampers off with a manic look on his face, ‘ray guns, ray guns… yippee!’

 

[Ursa major]

Is that Bowler leaving under a cloud? (Or could it perhaps be a gray sun...?)

 

[chrispenycate]

Anyone moving to west sussex deserves all the help they can get, so welcome here!! For some reason, you've attributed Bowler 1's remark to me, above... cruel and unusual misuse of avatars, I'd say!

Hmm, Wets Sussex doesn't seem as bad as all that for the time being; am working on getting into the health service, like a good little foreigner.

Strange about the misattributed quote; I merely hit the button, none of my 'clever' cut and paste quotes. And it went several pages back to find the reference. Hi ho, who could understand a computer?

 

[High Eight]

Firstly, a massive Thank You to High Eight - I'm delighted you enjoyed my story (although your vote doesn't seem to show up in the poll)!

I'm sorry Stormcrow - I don't know what went wrong there. I'm sure I voted for you!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

So, I'm curious -- this is really a matter for last month's discussion thread, but this is the one we have now.

Ratsy, did you know about the upcoming movie when you wrote about the "Ends of the Earth" pub? Because I just saw a promo for a movie about a twelve-pub crawl, called "The World's End".

 

[ratsy]

So, I'm curious -- this is really a matter for last month's discussion thread, but this is the one we have now.

Ratsy, did you know about the upcoming movie when you wrote about the "Ends of the Earth" pub? Because I just saw a promo for a movie about a twelve-pub crawl, called "The World's End".

Hey TDZ, no I didn't know about the movie but I have since seen previews for it and had a laugh. I hope it doesn't lead them to the stars...

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Well, it would probably be a better movie if it did....

 

[stormcrow]

Hey, High Eight; no worries, my friend! Your comment was worth more than a vote to me!

ratsy/TDZ - now I'm intrigued and will have to go and look at that; y'see there's a pub a couple of miles up the road from me called The Worlds End.