Articles written by Malcolm Toogood

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About me - Malcolm Toogood

I have been a writer for most of my life, and entered the publishing industry directly after leaving technical school in 1967. Over the next twenty years or so, I worked as a technical author on various projects for blue-chip companies. These included military

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Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Paranormal: 3 of 79
Joe wandered into the Rock Bottom Brewery on Sixteenth. The place was exactly as he remembered it from two years ago, noisy, bustling with people. A local blues band was hammering out Hard to Handle' from the loft, and waiters jostled between the crowds taking food to the tables.He had flown into Denver that morning, and had ... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Racism Discuss the forms of discrimination that exist in your country: 1 of 23
Ahead of BBC Two's March 2008 season of programmes examining whether the indigenous white working class population of the UK is becoming invisible, entitled "White", a poll conducted for their Newsnight' programme has revealed that 58% of that part of the UK electorate feel that nobody speaks for them anymore.The morning Radi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > International News The disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal: 1 of 21
Nearly a year has now passed, and we still do not have any firm evidence as to whether poor little Madeleine McCann is alive or not. That there is speculation surrounding every aspect of what is, whatever the ultimate truth of the matter turns out to be, an entirely sad case, is as much due to the rabid hunger of a media mach... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes Top albums of the 90s: 1 of 20
I suppose that most audiophiles have a thing about lists, and I am no exception. As a consequence, ever since I bought my first LP back in 1963, I have produced a list of my favourite albums of each year, and then decided on the best one. It started as a somewhat self-indulgent distraction to relieve the post-Christmas tedium... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Remembering: 3 of 55
Alec sat on his favourite ramshackle bench in the park, as he did every Sunday on his way home from morning service. The park was empty of people other than himself, which was not unusual, because although this was a small park in the midst of a large housing estate, very few of the residents used it. So it had become a small... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Dreams: 11 of 200
Kirsty settled into her steamer chair next to the small pond in her garden. It was late Friday afternoon, and she liked to relax for an hour or so before the turmoil of the weekend burst upon her, normally heralded by one or other of her, now fully-fledged, children bursting through the door with news of their exciting week.S... More..
Health & Fitness > Dental Treatment Reasons why you should visit the dentist often: 1 of 18
A recent revelation' from the media here in the UK is that "..new research has highlighted that over seven million people in this country have not been to an NHS dentist for over two years."Ignoring my usual objections about this type of revelation', in that the research' is not attributed, there are no indications of sample ... More..
Business > International Business & Trade Outsourcing causes more problems than cures for a company: 1 of 17
Outsourcing is not a problem; in this context, it is simply the misuse of a term.Unless they are totally self-sufficient, everybody outsources. It doesn't matter whether we are at home or in business, we all do it most days of the year. Want some examples?If you keep chickens in your back yard, feed and water them, house them... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Economic News Subprime lender crisis and the struggling home mortgage market: 1 of 13
As banks and mortgage lenders struggle to come to terms with the fallout from the US Sub-prime Mortgage Crisis, could their own recent introduction of new creditworthiness alert systems have been a contributory factor to the problem?Currently, markets around the world are highly-volatile due to the fallout from the sub-prime ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Natural Disasters The natural disaster in Myanmar compounded by government mistakes: 1 of 10
As the true size of the catastrophe caused by the cyclone in Myanmar begins to emerge, so also does the size of the problem regarding the provision of aid to a country where the borders are firmly closed by a dictatorship. Today (9th May 2008) we heard that the World Food Programme had, effectively, walked away from the probl... More..