Category: Questions

Confusion Feel GOOD! Questions Random Real Life

What is Reality?

By Tom Merriman on

I’m pondering reality today.

Quite possibly, I’m even questioning it. Mind you, with a reality like mine at times, there really is a lot to question!

Is reality what we see, hear, feel, touch and smell around us… or is it what we think and interpret it to be?

I’m now questioning myself. Am I real? Am I even here?

Lately, I’ve been seeing quite a lot of helicopters flying hither and thither up above. Travelling this way and that, some slowly, some at speed. Most folk would say that there’s nothing unusual in that, and they could even be right… but the fact that I am noticing more of them, does that make it unusual? Take Monday, for example. I was at the place of W, and there is a lot of wasteland at the back, after an old abandoned factory was demolished last year. There’s nothing on the vast open land now, apart from a few piles of leftover bricks. It gets very windy when the gusts get up! Hovering above the land was a helicopter. A black and white one. Just hovering there. Perhaps they were searching for someone hiding out in the open. I don’t know. It didn’t make sense. Maybe I’m looking too deeply into things, and the pilot was just practicing hovering, as a learner driver would practice reversing around a corner.

Another helicopter flew over on Tuesday, so low I could feel the pressure from the rotor blades… within my ears. Within my head, in fact. I do find myself pondering the notion that something is going on, something that we will NEVER get to find out about.

It’s not very secret, if that’s the case though. They aren’t being discreet about their covert activities.

See? Covert activities are taking place around me. Everyday. I’ve noticed them.

Walking down a street, I get the eerie feeling that I’m being watched. A person reading a newspaper swiftly pulls it up to cover their face as I walk by… and they cough. As in code. There. Over the road. That woman on her mobile phone. She’s in on it. She’s interpreting the cough as I nonchalantly glance around. And, right on cue, a helicopter flies overhead. A car sounds its horn behind me; although it is on the road driving away from me. The woman with the phone waves at the driver. The car stops and reverses around the corner, and turns back on itself, pulling up beside the woman, who swiftly jumps in. The registration number on the car is… there isn’t one! It’s a black car, with blackened windows all around, and it is now pointing towards me.

I turn. The man with the newspaper has vanished from the bench where he was sitting. The helicopter travels overhead again – it’s circling. I notice an electronic advertising sign change what it’s advertising – I’m sure just before it changed I saw a video of me looking around. Nah – I must have imagined that. Why would all these people be looking for me?

It’s because I know they’re up to something. That’s it. It must be.

I’ll just have to pretend I know nothing and carry on regardless. Or maybe, that is what they want me to think…

Gah! All this second guessing has me circling just as all those helicopters seem to be doing.

It isn’t only helicopters and strange-acting people, though. When driving, wherever, whenever, at whatever time of the day, if I drive past a road junction, a car will either just be pulling out, or just arriving at the junction. Traffic lights turn red the moment I reach the line. Cars seem to be racing behind me on dual carriageways, yet pull in behind and don’t overtake.

And people I think I know surprise me all the more.

Maybe I only know a certain aspect of their character, and I’m noticing a different side to them I haven’t seen before. Does this make them the same person, or a different one entirely???

Or is it little ole’ moi who’s changed, and I’m seeing all these subtle differences around me; noticing a shift in reality, only slight but most definitely there?

I don’t know.

So, I’m pondering reality today.

Have you noticed any subtle changes lately?

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Feel GOOD! Questions The World

Letters To The Universe… The Why Not? Edition

By Tom Merriman on

Dear The Long Easter Weekend,
Why not let us have some glorious Spring weather so we can enjoy you a little more?

Dear Blogland,
Why not have some fun this weekend and try to get in a couple of ridiculous jokes to your nearest and dearest, just for the sake of their reaction? You could use jokes such as:

What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot

What is brown and sticky? A stick

What’s red and smells like blue paint? Red paint

My friend recently got crushed by a pile of books, but he’s only got his shelf to blame

I thought I’d tell you a brilliant time-travel joke, but you didn’t like it

Dear Daft Driver,
Why not learn how to drive properly? Did you know that a second lane at a junction is for travelling straight ahead, and not, as you did, for turning left? You may have been indicating, but it is usually customary to indicate before you manoeuvre. And then, you did the very same thing at the next roundabout. At speed. Perhaps you just can’t drive? Mind you, a non-driver would probably drive better than you did.

Dear The Word Manoeuvre AND Spellchecker,
Why not work together and know this is the word I want to use? Yes the spelling catches me out every single time, but it is such an unusual and distinct word it should just be taken as granted this is the word I want. I can always change it if it isn’t… I have to change it anyway as it is always spelt wrongly!

Dear Ghost Galaxy NGC1052-DF2,
How wonderful that you appear to have no mysterious ‘dark matter’ and are only made up of ordinary matter. Now that you have been spotted by us Earthlings, why not surprise us even further and send us a cheery ‘Hello’! That will REALLY turn science on its head!

Dear Mrs Tufty,
How nice it was to see you swimming towards me on the Lake earlier today, with Tufty just behind. It’s jus a pity that a couple of boisterous geese decided to squabble and send you off-course. Next time we meet, why not come even closer so I can get some good close up photos of you, like I have of Tufty.

Dear Chilling Rain,
Why not join us on the good side and rain a little warmer? I’m not asking you not to rain – I know how important you are – but you should be feeling warmer now. Your current raindrops feel like sharp icy pin pricks, which aren’t very pleasurable after, oh, about ten.

Dear People,
Why not just have a day with no judgements, no criticisms, no complaints, no bitterness, no hatred and no evil thoughts? Sounds like a lot to ask, but it isn’t. Really.

Dear Favourite Work Pens,
I love writing with you, I really do. The thing is, as I write such a lot you don’t seem to last very long without running out of ink. Please, why not think of people like me, and try to write a little (OK, quite a lot!) further before you have to go into the rubbish bin. In the meantime, I will be buying another pack of you soon.

And Finally, Dear Blogland,
Why not give yourself a hearty pat on the back for just being you? You’re doing a good job.

Thank you for reading,

P.S. Why not try something new and see what happens? I’m experimenting with 3D graphics at the moment, and have created this…

… well, I’ve been experimenting in PowerPoint for a while with some creations, but old Rustbucket here was created in my landscaping program. Rustbucket is a new character for one of my story serieseses and he will be making his true appearance later in the year. Trying something new always opens new opportunities, not necessarily in the way first thought. For now though, I shall wish you a fabulous weekend!

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Confusion Feel GOOD! Questions

What’s Up? What’s Going On?

By Tom Merriman on

Now there’s a question. Or two.

And the answer? Well… just what is going on?

Let’s see.

Recently, I’ve been teasing about a forthcoming little reveal I have – er – coming. That reveal is happening NOW. OH YES IT IS!!! Well, in a moment or tow.

Just before; a quick recap of the recent madness I’ve encountered here within the Mansion walls.

Firstly, I posted a screengrab of one of the backrooms here at the blog the other day. This one, you may remember seeing it…

I’ve posted it again in black and white as it’s a recap. I also posted another image showing the colour green, and different shades of #002500, but I can’t see much point posting that image again in black and white, so I’ll not bother.

It’s the numbers that are important, you see. And it is the numbers that don’t add up which have given cause for this post’s title.

I checked my Dashboard today, and saw this:

According to the Blog Posts section in the first dashboard, I have now published 2,472 posts at today’s count. Here’s proof (you can see ‘Awestruck’ which was yesterday’s post):

So the older dashboard thinks I have published fewer posts today, than what the newer dashboard was telling me I’d published a few days ago.

The question is which is correct???

However, I’ll sort that out. The point of this post is this… I’m about to post my twenty-five-hundredth post! Did the clues help? Maybe they were a red herring. I don’t know.

I DO know, that when I turned my computer on this evening, I saw this random message on screen, before I logged in…

Which kind of caught me by surprise and made no sense whatsoever. I don’t even like shrimp. (Apologies for the quirky photo angle – I had to act quick to take the photo). I discovered that Windows have a feature called ‘Spotlight’ which throws up random pictures and messages like this – even when switched off, it seems – although it is turn offable. I digress.

Yes, sometime in the near future, date to be determined, I will post my 2,500th post, and I think I’ll throw a little blog party. Canopies will be in the Foyer and canapés will line the Courtyard in case the weather’s dreadful. No dress code. Turn up if you want to.

BUT.

If you do turn up, you will have to work! Oh yes!

Do you provide a free service through your blog that you’d like to promote? Would you like to recommend a friend’s blog? Would you like to meet a new blogger, or welcome a new blogger to your very own site? Perhaps you’d like to be a sit-down comic, and throw in a quick gag or two. Well, for one day, Beyond the Sphere will be open for promotions! My three followers, I’m sure, would love to come along and see what you have to offer.

Merely, on the post in question (whenever that will be!) all you have to do, in the comments, is provide a link to your site / your friend’s site / your friend-of-a-friend’s site (etc) and in return visit the links left by other fine folk who have taken the time to call by that day (whenever that may be!). It will be all about making connections.

Would you like to become one of the Twenty-five Hundreds? Pop along on the day in question, and you will be! I’ll even create a special badge that you can take away for doing so!

The official invitation post will be up soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it. And also keep your eyes peeled for any interesting posts that you think are most definitely worth a share – including some of your own as well!

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Abilities Confusion Cosmic Ordering Feel GOOD! Food and drink Questions Random Real Life

There’s an I in Coincidence…

By Tom Merriman on

Two actually. Three, if you count me.

I experience some very odd coincidences from time to time; things that are too coincidental to be coincidence, yet that is what they appear to be.

I’ve mentioned my quiz show experience on the blog before. But a lot of time has passed, so I’ll recap it quickly again.

I was watching a quiz show on TV, and the question master asked ‘Of what is ‘brontophobia’ the fear?’. At that point a loud clattering came from above, which sounded as though the chimney wall was falling down. I swiftly paused the programme and ran outside, expecting to see the rest of the building falling down behind me. Of course, I was mistaken, and everything was intact, as perfect as it always had been. The sky overhead was dark, brooding, with thick and low heavy clouds just waiting to burst.

‘Must have been thunder…’ I thought as I walked back in, and restarted the quiz show. Three answers were provided on screen: dinosaurs, chest infections or thunder. And the correct answer was thunder.

I’ve mentioned my rainbow on the blog before as well. But, let’s have another recap (imagine going all wobbly, like they do on TV when they have a flashback).

Several years ago, I wanted another job. I asked the Universe for help, and went to a few interviews. I don’t interview very well, so asked for a sign from the Universe that I would have work, after one interview, in the form of a rainbow. An interview came and went. It felt good. I left the office feeling good, and walked around the corner to be greeted by one of the biggest and brightest rainbows I have ever seen in my life. The complete arc was on display before me. It took me back, I don’t mind admitting. The Universe doesn’t do things by halves. And I got the job. I still have it.

Another coincidence; perhaps one conjured by me this time.

Enough of the flashbacks now. I’ve experienced another coincidence today. Maybe not as staggering or mind blowing as the others, although maybe more so.

As you may or may not be aware, I’m currently experiencing time issues.Time issues of the sort where it keeps hiding from me. It just keeps running away and I can’t seem to catch it. I can’t (well almost can’t!) keep up, although I am managing in some areas, so it’s OK, of a fashion. Wednesday is the day pesky old time really plays up, and I find it really hard to grab hold to a piece of spare time as it flies passed me at a rate of knots.

I was given the idea of buying a ready meal for Wednesday, to save with having to think about food as well as doing everything else I do on Wednesday. So, on Saturday I was meandering around Sainsbury’s (other supermarkets are available) when a ready meal’s packaging caught my eye. I grabbed it off the shelf, and thought I’d try that. Chicken Pad Thai… something I think I may have seen in the corner of my eye, but never tried, before. Not knowing what Pad Thai really was, I did a quick Google search and got my answers. Sounded good. I also bought a Lamb Rogan Josh, as I really like that as well, and thought I’d decide what to have on Wednesday.

Well, it appears the Universe has made my mind up for me. In the form of a Google Doodle.

Today’s (Tuesday 7th November 2017) Google Doodle, bear in mind they usually focus on famous historical people, events, or holidays, is in celebration of Pad Thai. Clicking through at the end of the little moving display gives the search ‘what is Pad Thai’?’… the very phrase I used for my search at the weekend.

I thought at first, when I first saw it, ‘Noooo…..!’, and then I randomly thought that Google had created a quick doodle for my search, and they must have done it for other searches around the world as well. It struck me how ridiculous that idea was, thinking about the number of searches they must process in a day, so I did a little further digging and found that the doodle appears not in every country, but quite a few.

So. Coincidence?

You couldn’t make it up. If tomorrow’s doodle is for Lamb Rogan Josh, I’m really going to have to start wearing my thinking cap again, and REALLY get some amazing coincidences created!

(The images in this post are all screenshots from today’s Google Doodle)

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