The Rolling Stones Living in a Ghost Town

Living in a Ghost Town is the new song of The Rolling Stones. It was produced before this coronavirus crisis and it was going to be included in a new album The Roling Stones intended to release in the near future. 

Surprisingly, this song fits well with what is taking place these days in the world because of the coronavirus crisis hence Mick Jagger rewrote the song a little bit to make references to coronavirus and the music video reflects our new reality.  

Living in a ghost town The Rolling Stones

You can watch the official music video of "Living in a Ghost Town" now:

LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN THE ROLLING STONES

The Shining Stephen King

I have widely enjoyed The Shining by Stephen King. It is a long novel to say the truth but it is easy to read. Read this in Spanish The Shining 

I am a big fan of Stanley Kubrick, I read recently Dream Story the novel that inspired Stanley Kubrick to make Eyes Wide Shut. As you may remember, Stanley Kubrick made a horror movie called The Shining as well. But there is a big difference. Whilst Dream Story may inspire Kubrick, he made a film adaptation of The Shining insofar as he changes things. 

The Shining Stephen King

Albeit The Shining is a superb movie I really believe reading the novel is a superior experience inasmuch as there is a higher amount of richer details. For instance, the novel provides a deep explanation of the history of the hotel.

Something that does not change, horror scenes aside, is one of my favourite scenes ever in the history of cinema. I am talking (the picture of this post depicts it) about when the protagonist, Jack Torrance (actor Jack Nicholson) visits the bar of the hotel and he asks for alcohol to drink. 

In the novel likewise, the protagonist goes to the bar in order to drink alcohol. Yet, in the novel, this takes place twice. Another big scene that I have loved in the novel is when the protagonist hears the voice of his deceased father that demands him to kill his son and his wife.

As far as the plot is concerned (This movie and novel is so renowned that you probably know it in advance) The Shining tells of the story of a man who is hired to look after a hotel in a rural place of Colorado, United States. This hotel is called The Overlook and is only opened from May until October due to the weather that is harsh in autumn and winter. However, Jack Torrance accepts the job and his wife and his little son stay with him in the hotel. 

The problem is that little by little strange things take place inside the hotel. At the same time, Jack Torrance, who wants to end a play, starts losing his mind and his son sees horrible happenings because he has a mental power (The Shining).

The Shining is one of the best horror movies ever and is one of the best novels I have ever read. The Shining was written in 1977 and the movie was released in 1980. A few years ago, Stephen King published the second part titled: Doctor Sleep. A movie adaptation is set to be released this November, the protagonist is played by Evan McGregor. 

Which is your favourite The Shining scene??? Have you seen The Shining??? Have you read The Shining???

The cover of my new book "El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis"

This is the cover of my new book. I finished writing this novel "El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis" (the birthday of Natalie Davis") last August and the manuscript was accepted back then by a Publishing House but it has not been published until now. It has taken too much time. I almost forgot about it but now I remember the story vividly. Read this in Spanish El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis

So vividly that I want to write a third part. In fact, I have started writing a third part about the adventures of my beloved character Natalie Davis.

This new book, "El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis" is the second part of a novel I published in 2018: "El verano de Natalie Davis" (the summer of Natalie Davis). You do not need to read the first part in order to understand this second part but It would be great if you read both.

El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis

In this cover appears my real name (Alberto Gonzalo). However, in the final cover my pen name will be displayed, the name I use to write: Halcombe Norilsk. 

What do you think of the cover? The book is in Spanish. It would be great if the book is translated into different languages like English, French or Japanese but I am afraid I am not popular enough for it. Anyway, what do you think??? 

Now I was thinking that perhaps it would be better if Natalie Davis had a cake with the number 21 as she has her 21 birthday in the novel but I am not going to change it now. The book will be published this April in Madrid. The capital of Spain is in flames right now because of coronavirus but they have managed to publish it regardless. 

Do you like the cover????

Will you read El cumpleaños de Natalie Davis"
(Buy my book "El verano de Natalie Davis)

The origin of coronavirus Covid-19

Chinese people do love to eat wild animals. Hunters take these wild mammals and take them to local markets where they live until there is one buyer. These wild animals transmit new viruses to humans who go to these markets and to the meat that is being sold. Read this in Spanish Coronavirus

One of these animals is the pangolin, a mammal that is considered a delicacy. Likewise, traditional Chinese medicine uses wild animals (pangolin for instance) to cure diseases. Changing these beliefs is really difficult as these are ancient traditions. Pangolin can be the origin of this new coronavirus. Another candidate is the bat. 

The origin of coronavirus

Chinese authorities do not really allow people to eat these wild animals but there is a demand for them so illegal hunting continues. Because of this coronavirus crisis, new strict measures have been imposed in China and these local markets where wild animals live and are hidden for sale are forbidden. 

However, Chinese authorities are afraid of banning traditional medicine that uses wild animals to cure diseases as this is part of Chinese culture. In the past, theses viruses did not travel so far but now globalization has made China to be a developed country and new viruses travel easily. 

At the end of November, a Chinese woman who ate meat from this local market in Wuhan had coronavirus. This was the first sick person. Time was wasted and now this new virus has traveled the whole world. Globalization makes us to be exposed to new diseases. 

Sars came from China too and had a local meat market as the origin as well. Ebola was produced because some poor people in Africa ate monkeys. Wild forests are destroyed in rural areas and mammals who never had contact with humans transmit us new viruses. Likewise, poor people who eat bad will transmit new diseases. What is more, so many international flights and overpopulation in huge cities allow viruses to be transmitted in a way never seen before.  

Will we have a new pandemic crisis once coronavirus is controlled???

Eat garlic and onion to defeat coronavirus

Since coronavirus is spreading so fast, there is no cure, there is not a vaccine as yet and it is easy to catch it we depend on our immune system to fight it. 80 percent of people infected will have mild symptoms. The 14 percent of those infected will develop a serious illness and 6 percent of people infected will die. Read this in Spanish coronavirus 

As a result, your health, age and above all the immune system will be the key to defeat coronavirus soon, this is the reason we need to eat properly in order to improve our defenses.

Coronavirus garlic

It is high time we had a balanced diet and something you should add to it is garlic and onions as onions and garlic will improve your immune system. Slaves in old Egypt were given onions so that being strong and build pyramids. Adding garlic and onion to our meals is something we must do. 

Something that affects our immune system badly is the lack of sleep and also stress. Sleeping is essential in these relevant days. By contrast, too much sugar affects our immune system. If your immune system cannot defeat easily coronavirus it will get so anxious that it can cause huge problems into their own body.

Will you eat garlic and onions???

Will we defeat coronavirus???

The books of Mario Vargas Llosa are banned in China now because of a Coronavirus article

Mario Vargas Llosa is the most important writer writing in Spanish. He was born in Perú but he lives in Spain. He is considered one of the last best writers alive. He is a legend. Indeed, he has won all the Literary prizes one writer can win. Read this in Spanish.  Mario Vargas Llosa China

Mario Vargas Llosa China

He is widely read in the whole world, even in China where he is known as Llosa. However, his books are no longer allowed there after an article he published the other day in the Spanish newspaper El País. The strange thing is that the article was not really about China. He was talking about coronavirus, death, humans and plagues. 

He was explaining briefly something we all know. A Chinese doctor denounced something horrible was happening in China as a new virus was infecting plenty of people, he denounced the situation and he called on authorities to act quickly. Notwithstanding his pleads, Chinese authorities silenced him and obliged him to retract his words in a public statement otherwise he would go to prison. Now, coronavirus is a pandemic and this doctor has died fighting coronavirus in China.

Mario Vargas Llosa only talked about China superficially giving his opinion about the regime but Chinese are really, really angry at him and now all the books of Mario Vargas Llosa are banned in China. But perhaps doing this China is giving value to the opinion of Mario Vargas Llosa he conveyed in his now polemic article. 

Something that has annoyed Chinese authorities is that Mario Vargas Llosa calls coronavirus "A virus that comes from China". Likewise, Vargas Llosa says that as China is a dictatorship they silenced the doctors who were worried and who could have developed easily a vaccine when the virus was new and weak. What is more, he says coronavirus has happened because China is not a democracy. 

Is Mario Vargas Llosa right to criticize China??
Is China right to ban the books of Mario Vargas Llosa??
Is coronavirus the fault of China??

Italy Cook and Love Episode One

The Spanish blog of Halcombe Norilsk, Ser un Tusitala, has been selected to write about and to emit the Italian television series "Italy Cook and love" in which some experts visit Italian restaurants throughout different European cities. The first episode has just been released and it is made in Seville, south of Spain. Read this in Spanish Italy Cook and Love Ser un Tusitala

Italy Cook and love episode one

Take a look at this incredible video. The video is in Italian, yet it contains English subtitles.

ITALY COOK AND LOVE Episode one. 

Can Mike Bloomberg be the president of the United States????

It is said that money cannot give you happiness. However, it helps, does not it? If not, take a look at Michael Bloomberg. The billionaire businessman who started from zero and former mayor of New York City for 12 years has spent a fortune (500 million dollars thus far) in advertisements the last two months in order to have options and gain the nomination to face Donald Trump this November to become the new president of the United States. Mike Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg

While somewhere in the region of 20 democrats were fighting each other in bitter debates since last summer Michael Bloomberg was saving cash to promote himself in 2020. Now, there are only 6 democrat candidates more or less and even though Michael Bloomberg has not participated in the 3 first voting states he appears with options to win the nomination now. Money can buy plenty of things but can buy a political nomination and a presidency??? What do you think?

"Dulce et Decorum Est" Wilfred Owen The Pity of War

With regards to the coined sentence “the pity of war”, one should convey thereby, that Wilfred Owen wants to tell the truth about war, albeit fighting for your country is proper regardless as his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” states. 

Wilfred Owen The pity of War Dulce et decorum est

Indeed, the Georgians, to which Owen belonged despite omissions, did try to talk about life clearly. Consequently, “the pity of war” refers to what war was really about feeling honoured serving your country. Poems such as “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke or “When you see Millions of the Mouthless dead” by Charles Hamilton Sorley embrace this notion.

Notwithstanding these two authors, it is “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen that epitomizes “the pity of war” best. Not only the title means that it is sweet to die for your country, we feel the harsh truth of war too throughout the overall text: (“he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning”), (“as under a green sea, I saw him drowning”), (“Drunk with fatigue, deaf even to the hoots”), (“and watch the white eyes writhing in his face”) and the end says it all: (“The old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”).

All in all, “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen explains fully the expression “the pity of war”. The war is horrible, yet perhaps dying for your country might be beautiful.

The truth about Brexit

David Cameron had a relevant majority and he was ruling Britain comfortably. After gaining the Scotland referendum in 2014 (he only allowed it to end the prospect of an independent Scotland forever as the polls gave a clear majority against independence but now the Scotland independence movement has grown stronger because of Brexit) he wanted to put pressure on the European Union with a Brexit referendum so that obtaining more money from the European Union. Besides, he wanted to get rid of radical members of his party who hate Europe (now these radical members rule the party). He thought it was impossible that British people would vote to leave the European Union. He thought his plan was great and he would show the European Union that Britain deserved more money. Read this in Spanish Brexit

At the same time, Boris Johnson madly wanted the job of David Cameron (they were both educated in the same school and had been competing against each other since their respective political careers started) and the only way to end the career of David Cameron was to support Brexit so he started a campaign full of lies.

Boris Johnson writes a weekly column regarding politics for The Daily Telegraph and he was going to write an article saying how important the European Union is and how bad for the United Kingdom was leaving the European Union. However, as David Cameron announced his Brexit referendum he changed the column and he announced he was going to support Brexit. He thereby wanted to end the career of David Cameron. The Brexit supporters started a campaign full of lies to give David Cameron the sack and they won unexpectedly as remain supporters did not defend their position fully and now Boris Johnson is the premier of the UK.

The reality is that you cannot leave the European Union if you are in Europe in real terms. Indeed, Britain will have to travel to Brussels constantly to make agreements and given the world we are living Britain will be poorer and isolated. Since European countries are small only inside the European Union one can compete against countries like India, the United States or China.

What is more, Northern Ireland is on the brink of joining the rest of Ireland and Scotland wants independence because of Brexit and Britons are going to be poorer because they will not receive funds from the European Union. Some experts say that Britain will have to join the European Union again as you cannot be in Europe without doing business with the rest of European countries that are all of them in the European Union.

The only person who has obtained something positive with Brexit is Boris Johnson, the people of Britain will suffer a lot. Brexit is a historical mistake that can end Great Britain and its beautiful greatness. In fact, support for the independence of Scotland has growth and Northern Ireland is alone and near leaving Great Britain.

Northern Ireland remains in the European Union and there will be a frontier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom even though Northern Ireland belongs to the United Kingdom. This is ridiculous.

Boris Johnson knew about this but Brexit was the only way to be the Prime Minister of Great Britain. This is very, very sad, because Britons were told lies to vote leave and now they are going to face the harsh reality

The truth about Brexit

The Brexit supporters wanted to take control of the Conservative party and ruling Britain. And they have obtained it with the Brexit issue that it is an old nationalistic English movement that tells old tales about the British Empire that does no longer exist. Northern Ireland and Scotland wanted to remain in the European Union and now they want to leave the United Kingdom.

The press in Britain is conservative and they will invent stories to support Brexit but the reality is clearer. Brexit is a mess and Britons will be poorer. Likewise, Boris Johnson will have to travel to Brussels often to negotiate as Britain has to make business with the rest of the European countries but they will have no right to decide anything as they have decided to leave the European Union. 

Politicians do not look after their citizens; they only look after their interests. A great farce has been created. After more than 3 years the United Kingdom has finally been able to leave the European Union but now they will start to negotiate an agreement that can last years. England can lose now Scotland and Northern Ireland breaking forever Great Britain (we must remember that the peace in Northern Ireland was signed after decades of blood) and everything thanks to the ambition of Boris Johnson who is now rich and powerful.