Mike Scantlebury writes books, plays, songs and jokes. He publishes these on the internet. He lives in Manchester, England, which, thanks to the web, is somewhere in the known world.

• Alternatives to Reality, Every Day
  12/05/2008 | Self Improvement
  So, what's it to be, young man? Why, you could be a famous sports personality, a singer or creative artist, all without work or effort. You could be rich, famous, an expert in your field, and all without practice. Uh, wait a minute: where are we going? You think it's possible to achieve anything without daily effort? Time to think again. Moving forward is easy, but you have to move your feet. One step at a time. Read
  
• Alternatives to Fairyland
  04/05/2008 | Finance
  Children love fairy stories, tall tales of short elves and beautiful maidens. Is it fair to shatter their illusions and puncture their dreams? Certainly not! But what if that 'child' is 21, or 41, or 61? Should they still be allowed to believe in fairies? Doesn't someone, anyone, need to tell them the truth about the economy? Why should they be encouraged to live in Fairy Land forever? Read
  
• Internet Authors are the New Black Swans
  01/05/2008 | Writing
  Life is so unpredictable. Just when you were pretty sure that all swans were white, someone goes off and discovers Australia, where swans can be found that are black. No one was expecting that. Likewise, no one is expecting the edifice of Traditional Publishing to crumble, but after 250 years it is finally beginning to shake. Internet Authoring is the way of the future. That's a surprise too. Read
  
• Alternatives to Being the Best
  15/04/2008 | Self Improvement
  Every day is an adventure and every road we go down gives us a choice, which way to go next. What would you choose, good or bad, right or wrong, the worst or the best. Let's look at a few examples and see how frail and stupid we can all be, if we're determined and really put our minds to it. The alternative, of course, is always better, but how many of us can choose that route? Read
  
• Alternatives to Flouride
  03/04/2008 | Health
  Why should we do what's good for us? Well, apparently, we don't. Despite all the good intentions in the world, not everyone is convinced that medicating the water supply is the best way to treat people in the 21st century. Anyway, they've found other things to do. These days it's drinking water out of a very expensive bottle. People don't always do what they're told! Sorry. Read
  
• Internet Authors Don't Use Quills
  30/03/2008 | Writing
  Every artist has a hero, someone they admired when younger and then set out to emulate. But do they copy the person or just follow in their footsteps? If you want to go the way of William Shakespeare does that mean you have to use a quill pen and write on parchment? Or is their another way? Perhaps we can learn from the best of new techology, while not ignoring the lessons of the past. Read
  
• Internet Authors are Farmers, Really
  23/03/2008 | Writing
  As the age of Traditional Publishing draws to an end, authors are finding that the internet can now meet all their needs, for getting published and being heard. Writers make contact with readers through the web, get feedback and improve their craft. Their work grows in the sunlight of positive criticism, watered by the rain of encouragement. The author brings in a well-deserved harvest. Just like farmers, maybe? Read
  
• Alternatives to Making Do
  08/03/2008 | Self Improvement
  Why prepare? After all, a lot of famous people are renowned for being able to 'wing it', coming up with the goods off the top of their heads. Isn't it good to be spontaneous? Why not copy the rich and famous? Yeah, good, if you can. On the other hand, it might be better to make that all important first impression by knowing what you're talking about. Yep, that's an alternative. Read
  
• Alternatives to Pretending
  03/03/2008 | Self Improvement
  We are who we think we are. Are we? Or are we who we say we are? Or, more accurately, we seem to be whom we pretend to be. That's good, surely, making out you're more than you are; more important; more - everything. Not according to this author. You spend effort pretending to be who you're not and you'll spend up, with nothing to show for it. Try another way. Read
  
• Alternatives to Positive Thinking
  01/03/2008 | Self Improvement
  What's all this 'positive' stuff? Why do we have to keep smiling? What's this obsession with always looking on the bright side. Maybe there are other world views, and this article points you in that direction, out there in the world, maybe China. Find out more about being positive where it counts, in planning and doing. After all, the question is, where are you - now and in the future - not what you can say about it. Read