The Briefcase

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The Briefcase

Sillinger slipped in through the back door. Clearly, there had been an advertisement, likely on social media or across the dark web, disclosing his whereabouts. The leak was born in the weaknesses of those in the know. The seeds of discontent sown and already lingering amongst his own rank and file. Only a handful of people knew his movements yet the streets out front were lined with tens of thousands of people.

The briefcase he carried held everything and nothing. The solution to the one burning question that humankind had yearned to solve for millennia. In a single stroke, the course of human history would change forever.

That is why the throngs had gathered. Some ready to embrace the unknown blindly, some looking to exploit it for personal gain, and some are just plain naive and curious. Still others, the disruptors as they were referred, were paralyzed by the impending apocalypse they believed was being brought down upon them. No matter the reasons it reinforced the belief that the world was not ready. The upheaval could prove disastrous, sending the world into a tizzy if the truth was revealed prematurely.

Some secrets are best left in the hands of the few revolutionaries who understand the gravity they hold. Curated and nurtured while a campaign of information and reform is allowed to seep into the collective conscious. Designed to diffuse the acrimony towards the establishment sudden revelation can illicit.

It could take decades, maybe centuries for society to catch up to the science. Until then Sillinger’s task was monumental. He would need to dispel all truths and myths about what it was the foundation held in its custody.

He was unlikely to see the fruition of his labours, other than in small doses amongst his peers. The transformative nature of the content of the briefcase would remain as much a mystery to him as those standing in the street below.

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Happy New Year

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Happy New Year

Now that 2022 is firmly in the rearview and we can all look forward to a new year I can say that overall it wasn’t a bad year personally.

Yeah, the world went to shit with Russian aggression in Ukraine and COVID spending policies coming home to roost.

Inflation fucked with most of the free world’s economies in 2022 and we will likely see its ramifications for years to come. Still for those of us who lived through the late 1970s and early 1980s these rates are not that bad. Imagine a U.S. peak of 18.39% in July 1981 or a Canadian high of 21% in August of that same year. Things don’t look bad viewing it through that lens. Let’s hope we don’t let it get there.

On the European front, the tone from the Kremlin over the holiday has started to shift. Russia’s military is floundering badly in Ukraine and the Motherland’s losses continue to mount. Even more crippling to Putin’s war effort, the U.S. and its allies now appear willing to provide assistance to Ukraine in the form of modern sophisticated weaponry it needs to push Russia to the brink. In light of these factors, it would seem Putin and Moscow’s resolve for war are beginning to wane. That does not mean we are out of the woods and Russia’s nuclear arsenal remains a constant threat. That said there does seem to be some hope for optimism as the Kremlin’s apparent shift may be signalling that Putin and his government are laying the groundwork for possible exit strategies that would allow the tyrant to save face and hold onto power. Time will tell.

Closer to home, Greg’s Blog has had a great year, by far the best on record for my tiny corner of the world wide web. (Does anyone call it that anymore?) 2022 saw views of my blog climb from 1071 in 2021 to 6156 in 2022 (a 475% increase year over year) and visitors climb from 467 to 2785 (+496%). In terms of real numbers I know it’s still relatively small compared to some of the superstars I like to follow but it’s still something. Keep in mind it has also been my most active year blogging and it did see the start of a couple of weekly or bi-weekly features on my site. With the hectic holiday season over I hope to get back at it more regularly again and hope I can build on some of that 2022 momentum in the new year.

It has been fun interacting with so many of you and I hope to continue reading/viewing what everyone has to offer and hopefully put out content that you enjoy interacting with. Thanks to everyone for a great 2022 and I hope 2023 turns out to be a phenomenal year for everyone!

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Holiday Traditions

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Whether you were celebrating Christmas or another occasion, I hope you had a great holiday, as always it was hectic here.

It starts Christmas Eve when I wake up and start making my most reqeusted Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Garlic Bread recipe. Think of it as an Spinach and Artichoke dip with cheese where the dipping is already done for you. My outlaws insist that I bring two loaves with me. The recipe can be found here.

Being Italian they insist on doing a huge seafood feast for dinner, no meat on Christmas Eve. Not sure what the logic is because fish and seafood are flesh too but I’m not complaining – no meat it is. The feast includes baked baccalà (cod), pan-fried sole, fried shrimp, calamari and a seafood salad that includes shrimp, mussels, octopus, scallops, etc… I am also tasked with making a shrimp dish that has become a tradition of sorts. The recipe can be found here.

Because we spend Christmas Day at my parents we open the gifts at Gina’s parents on Christmas Eve. They always go crazy overboard, I mean ridiculously so, spoiling my son. To get an idea of how crazy, the only other person besides us and her parents is her sister and when we were leaving Christmas morning I filled the back of my Ford Escape so that I could not see out the back window and I will have to do that again on New Years Day with the stuff we left behind. Nate loves it though so I guess that is all that matters.

From there we pick up my kids from my first marriage around noon and head to my parents for the standard Turkey dinner and gift exchange. It is usually a house filled with 20-25 people and although it’s very hot and hectic it is nice to see family. The usual Christmas dinner that includes turkey, ham two giant serving bowls of mashed potatoes and just about every vegetable the supermarket stocks. All delicious but by the time you have a bit of everything you are stuffed like a turkey.

Once dinner is finished there comes the traditional lighting of the Christmas Pudding. My father douses a mound of this pudding fruit cake thingy with booze and sets it ablaze to the annual oooohs and ahhhhs of all in attendance. This year he went light on the booze and as a result nobody lost their eyebrows, although if you watch the video you will see my brother-in-law try and burn is finger off!

The Christmas Pudding

The best part of Christmas this year happened after dinner as we were all sitting around unable to move, spaced out in tryptophan heaven. My son decided to compose an original piece on Grandma’s old out-of-tune upright piano. Notice the quality of tone in his voice! 🤣

Christmas Is the Best

Needless to say, Boxing Day was pretty much a write-off. We just spent it relaxing and recovering. Now its just waiting for 2023. I must admit I miss the days my uncle (now deceased) would pull the bagpipes out at midnight and pipe the old year out the back door, the rest of us in tow as he marched around the house and piped the new year in the front. Such are the holiday traditions that bind us together. I hope you were able to fulfilled all the traditions you hold dear with the people you love this year.

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Five Word Weekly Challenge (2252)

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The Challenge

Welcome to Five Word Weekly. Each Monday, five words will magically appear on Greg’s Blog at 5:00am Eastern Time (Canada/United States). Your task is to craft prose or poetry using any or all of the word prompts. How you participate is entirely up to you. Your work(s) can be a single piece, a series of stand-alone projects, or an epic serial. Let the words be the inspiration that takes you wherever your imagination leads.

The Words

Happy New Year from Greg’s Blog and Five Word Weekly. This week, the word selections are inspired by the beginning of the new year. Although the challenge does not adhere to a weekly theme, the group of words presented may occasionally share a common thread. You as the author can write about anything without being bound to a theme.

cocktail | beginning | resolution | calendar | season

Click here for rules and guidelines

The Retreat

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The Retreat

It couldn’t have been more perfect. He had managed to hit every note for our 13th anniversary. It was odd, he wasn’t very good at dates, gifts, or surprises. In fact, he’d forgotten the last three anniversaries and remembered only one of my last five birthdays. I swear he’d forget Christmas if I didn’t remind him.

I guess I shouldn’t complain. This place had everything, massage, nature, food and drink, recreation, and relaxation. Then there was the zen Kamasutra love thing he orchestrated. It had lasted so long that we had to order room service just to replenish our spend shells. I know I said it already, but it was perfect.

He eyed me with that smug masculine air. You know the one where he knows he’s nailed it. The kind that would buy him enough romantic capital to blur indiscretions of the past and leave plenty of extra to spend on the fuck ups yet to come. He wasn’t wrong I’d bitten down hard – hook, line and sinker.

Our last night here, sitting at the best table on the lakeside deck, candles lit as we sip our second spectacular bottle of red. The sun was setting over the lake, painting the sky in a mix of orange and gold, and the air was filled with the sound of crickets singing, when suddenly the lake began to ripple, and then like a raging fire something broke through the surface tension.

Rising from the water, maw gaping as it crawled onto the beach. It may have been the light, but its silhouette seems larger than life. Doug sunk down in his chair, that smug look morphed to fear. Sweat had begun beading on his forehead and his hands were visibly shaking. I was trapped like a deer in the headlights.

It was coming right for us, or should I say Doug, its fangs bared in the throes of a terrifying guttural roar. A barrage of indiscernible sounds growing louder and more aggressive with each step closer.

It produced a weapon that had been concealed in the dark as it entered our sphere. With a final lunge, it drove the pointed rod through Doug’s neck. The impact was so violent that his chair stuttered sideways until it caught on the deck boards, spilling his frame onto the floor. His face contorted in pain and terror as he lay on his side, paralyzed and gasping for air.

Its eyes bulged and as if it were spitting venom growled, “Really, the fucking week I’d planned, you brought her? In one motion she pulled the harpoon from his neck and as his limp body rolled onto its back she drove it through his heart. He drew one last breath and fell still except for the blood seeping from his wounds.

Then like Jekyll into Hyde she transformed into almost ordinary. She surveyed the mood of shocked onlookers seated around us as she picked up the fallen chair. Sitting across from me, our eyes meet for the first time as she swallows the last of the wine left behind in his glass. She was his mistress and his killer, but at that moment I wanted her more than anything I’d ever wanted.

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T-Shirt Wisdom Tuesday (2251)

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Welcome to T-Shirt Wisdom Tuesday. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Every other Tuesday I will post a quote that I’ve seen printed on a T-Shirt or think should have been.

Happy Holidays! May everyone have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Check back weekly and see what witty, funny, or plain old ridiculous T-Shirts wisdom I’ve been able to find or come up with. Suggestions are always welcome.

Left-handed Slight

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Left-handed Slight

I learned something new today. When writing a post using the word sinister from Fandango’s One Word Challenge I came across a piece of information that I was not aware of. It came as a surprise to learn the Latin origin of the word sinister means “on the left side.” In English, the word and its derivatives have taken on negative connotations. This would seem to mirror the belief for hundreds of years that lefties were associated with the devil’s hand, demonic possession, or evil. Even more interesting is the fact that dexter, the Latin word meaning “on the right side” and its derivatives have come to be largely seen as positive words in the English language.

The fact that lefties were looked down upon is not surprising information. We’ve all heard stories of lefties being forced to use their right hand. In the late 1980s, my lefty sister had broken her left arm and her grade school teacher attempted to force her to use her right. My mother, who worked as a volunteer in the school office, was aware that righties were always given consideration in similar circumstances and ensured the principal rectified the situation.

It was the etymology of the word that I found interesting and thought I’d share. Here is the excerpt from Merriam-Webster that caught my eye…

“Sinister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinister.
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5. Revenge: The Beast 2

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ThemeFinland via DeviantArt

5. Revenge: The Beast 2

Lilith remained obscured in the shadows. Studying the creature for a tell, anything to gain advantage. Watching as doomed suitors offer wealth and sacrifice in exchange for favour. Each left retreating, begging for mercy in the flashes before receiving a final, brutal verdict.

She expected something sinister in its fiery red eyes. Instead, she glimpsed something she understood, a loneliness shrouded behind the beast’s perpetually shifting facade.

Disarmed for a moment, it sensed her in the darkness. She wasn’t ready, but it was time…

The Revenge Series

<< 4. Revenge: The Riddle

6. Revenge: ‘Good-Time Charlie >>

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Five Word Weekly Challenge (2251)

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The Challenge

Welcome to Five Word Weekly. Each Monday, five words will magically appear on Greg’s Blog at 5:00am Eastern Time (Canada/United States). Your task is to craft prose or poetry using any or all of the word prompts. How you participate is entirely up to you. Your work(s) can be a single piece, a series of stand-alone projects, or an epic serial. Let the words be the inspiration that takes you wherever your imagination leads.

The Words

A Merry Christmas from Greg’s Blog and Five Word Weekly. This week, the word selections are inspired by the holiday season. Although the challenge does not adhere to a weekly theme, the group of words presented may occasionally share a common thread. You as the author can write about anything without being bound to a theme.

excitement | cocoa | feast | polar | goodwill

Click here for rules and guidelines

The November Blahs…

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Frozen Pines by Greg Glazebrook @ GMG Photography

The November Blahs…

Every year when November rolls around and the days get shorter, I begin to feel the seasonal blahs seep into my bones. To be clear, my symptoms are not so severe as to fall into the spectrum of Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) and normally clear up as my body adjusts to its new reality. This year has been different though, I haven’t been able to shake them as quickly as in the past.

As the brilliant colours of early fall begin to fade, the lack of natural sunlight and the monotony of a monotone world begin to set in. I start to feel sluggish and well quite honestly just blah. This is part of my normal adjustment to the coming winter. The shorter days and longer nights coupled with the waning intensity of our sun messing with my natural vitamin D production is always the biggest contributor. Normally as the calendar turns from November to December I’ve adjusted, life gets colder but it goes on just fine. So what is different this year.

Could it be the relatively dreary start to December? It seems to me even the little sunlight we get at this time of year has been almost exclusively blotted out behind a veil of thick cloud cover, with rain and more snow than I can remember seeing this early in the season. I have had to shovel out at least four times already this year when we would normally see three or four storms a year.

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