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Marti

The hungry ghost explained

By Pot Luck

… and that’s why he’s hungry

Why ghosts are hungry

…or so I thought, until I did more research…

Let me explain. I was surfing the net for inspiration for my next cartoon.  Sometimes I like to draw cartoons that play on words or phrases.  I found myself on an idiom site that listed popular sayings, of which ‘hungry ghost’ was one of them. I hadn’t heard of the saying before and the site didn’t offer an explanation, so I just assumed it referred to someone who is always hungry – just like a ghost would be because the food goes straight through them.

Well, I was wrong and should have realised that I was being a bit too literal with my interpretation.  After drawing the cartoon I hunted the web for a definition and it didn’t take me long to find out how wrong I was.  For those of you as unfamiliar with this one as I was, here’s what dictionary.com said

‘in Buddhism, a supernatural being filled with more desire than it can consume’

and provided this example

‘The hungry ghost is often depicted with large belly and tiny mouth, a metaphor for people futilely attempting to fulfil their illusory physical desires.’

Have you ever misinterpreted some of those funny english sayings before?

Share, we’ll both have a laugh together.  

July 16, 2014
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So what do you think?

By Pot Luck

I’m the process of sprucing up my website with a range of things (actually ideas) I’ve been hiding on the back shelf until now.  

But I can’t do this one on my own – I need your help by giving me your thoughts on this quick survey.

I’m creating a monthly newsletter for subscribers (this is in addition to the blog subscription you might already be on). But it’s a bit hard to entice people to click that funky new subscribe button without giving away something for free. So, here’s the question.

[polldaddy poll=8185877]

 

 

July 15, 2014
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Have you been caught snacking?

By Pot Luck

 

Snacking before dinnerAh yes, snacking before dinner – how to get every mother annoyed.  

I sometimes find myself in snacking discussions with my children; holding the offending but circumstantial evidence (chocolate wrapper) in my hand.  But I’m not perfect myself. I used to enjoy sneaking in a biscuit or two before dinner.

What’s your snacking weakness?

July 2, 2014
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Free promotional book offer

By Freebies

Download Doug the Dung Beetle – The long roll home for FREE!

As part of a promotion for the release of my next kid’s picture book, I want to spread the word of Doug.  So please, if you’ve ever had a twitch to look at my book, but didn’t, here is your opportunity to do so for absolutely free.  And as a favour to me, spread the word of Doug with your friends by sharing this post.  Give them the gift of humour and dung, all in the one neat little package!

But offers like this don’t last forever.  So go on, click here to visit NoiseTrade for your free copy (suitable for your Kindle, iPad and more).

Go on, make my day – download and share today!

NoiseTrade Book Promotion

So still here? Wondering if there’s a catch? Sorry, no catch. I don’t even expect a ‘tip’, but NoiseTrade forces you to select a tip amount (that’s how they make their money). In fairness, they make it clear that you are not obliged to tip. I’m just keen to build up my book reader audience by getting the book out there.  And if you like my book and want to be notified about future book releases, you have a chance to subscribe to my ‘new book release’ email (along with all the specials that come with that). But as with the tips, that too is optional. So go on, download now.

June 22, 2014
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Never ending laughs with this perpetual folding card freebie

By Freebies

I’m really excited by this freebie (must be the engineer in me). When I first saw it in action I couldn’t stop playing with it.

Photo of never ending folding card

Four views, one card. Make this simple card and share with your friends today!

This is no ordinary card. You get four views wrapped up in the one neat card – all you have to do is fold and fold and fold.

And that’s the best thing – it never ends. Keep on folding and eventually you get back to beginning again.

It is surprisingly easy to make, and if you’re a bit of a geek, you’ll be able to see how it works by looking at how the template is constructed.

Grab your never ending folding card by clicking here now.

June 20, 2014
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Famous last words?

By IT and Computer Stuff

Don't judge a book by its cover

History is littered with famous last words. Here are a few:

Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
Oscar Wilde, writer, November 30, 1900

Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!
Karl Marx, revolutionary socialist, March 14, 1883

Damn it . . . Don’t you dare ask God to help me.
To her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud.
Joan Crawford, actress, d. May 10, 1977

I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.
Humphrey Bogart, actor, January 14, 1957

Waiting are they? Waiting are they? Well–let ’em wait.
In response to an attending doctor who attempted to comfort him by saying, ‘General, I fear the angels are waiting for you.’
Ethan Allen, American Revolutionary general, 1789

June 16, 2014
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Portable social media bookmark freebies

By Freebies

Yep, Fabulous Friday Freebie returns with some ‘likeable’ and portable bookmarks

Give away bookmarks to printThese bookmarks will help you reminisce on days gone by, when reading involved paper.  But fear not, these bookmarks allow you to still express your inner social networking feelings with the world.

You know the drill.  Click here and whizz through cyber space to our freebie page for a free file download.

Be brave, print your bookmarks and put a face to a feeling – if you dare!

May 30, 2014
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