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Incidentally, I've changed the settings so there are now 20 posts on the front page rather than three days. Hopefully this will facilitate loading.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rain protection
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Incidentally, I've changed the settings so there are now 20 posts on the front page rather than three days. Hopefully this will facilitate loading.
Man in van kept two-month diary of life stuck in a snowdrift until he died
The body of a man found by forest service workers on Thursday on a back road near Marion Forks is that of 68-year-old Jerry William McDonald, the Linn County Sheriff's Office have announced. An autopsy showed that McDonald's death was consistent with starvation and/or hypothermia. McDonald was identified using fingerprints.
"It appears he was camping there to start with," said Sheriff Tim Mueller. McDonald was in a sleeping bag in the bed of a pickup. He had apparently become stuck in the snow in February. The road out would have been impassable in snowy conditions, the sheriff said, and there was no sign McDonald tried to walk out.
McDonald scribbled short entries on a homemade calendar, noting the weather and the number of days he'd been there. He appears to have arrived on Feb. 7, and notes getting snowed in on Feb. 14. He also wrote reminders to himself, such as "motor vehicle registration expires" on April 12 and "can camp at Powers for 20 d." on April 18.
He may have run out of food on March 16, where it reads "No Fo1" and is labelled day 38. The next day says "No Fo2," followed by "No F3" the day after that. The last entry is on April 15. He wrote "rain" and labelled it 68. Detectives say McDonald was estranged from his family. He has a son living in West Linn. The son told detectives he hadn't talked to his father in 30 years. Nobody had reported him missing.
"It appears he was camping there to start with," said Sheriff Tim Mueller. McDonald was in a sleeping bag in the bed of a pickup. He had apparently become stuck in the snow in February. The road out would have been impassable in snowy conditions, the sheriff said, and there was no sign McDonald tried to walk out.
McDonald scribbled short entries on a homemade calendar, noting the weather and the number of days he'd been there. He appears to have arrived on Feb. 7, and notes getting snowed in on Feb. 14. He also wrote reminders to himself, such as "motor vehicle registration expires" on April 12 and "can camp at Powers for 20 d." on April 18.
He may have run out of food on March 16, where it reads "No Fo1" and is labelled day 38. The next day says "No Fo2," followed by "No F3" the day after that. The last entry is on April 15. He wrote "rain" and labelled it 68. Detectives say McDonald was estranged from his family. He has a son living in West Linn. The son told detectives he hadn't talked to his father in 30 years. Nobody had reported him missing.
Wife wins $760,000 compensation after husband was taken to wrong address in taxi
A Gold Coast Coast mother has been awarded more than $760,000 in what is thought to be the first time in Australia a taxi driver has been found negligent for failing to ensure an intoxicated passenger was delivered to the correct address. Elizabeth French was awarded the payout in Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday, bringing to an end more than seven years of legal battles since her husband Stephen Crouch, 36, was killed on Currumburra Rd, Ashmore in May, 2003.
Mr Crouch and Ms French were at a party in Southport on May 31 when Ms French, who was heavily pregnant at the time, went home leaving her husband to drink with his friends. Hours later, an intoxicated Mr Crouch was put into a cab by his mates who told the driver his address, however he was dropped at the wrong place and, in an attempt to get himself home, he was hit by two vehicles and died at the scene.
Justice George Fryberg on Friday found the cab driver, Stephen Earea, had left Mr Crouch lying on the side of Yangoora Crescent when he was unable to find his actual address. Mr Earea called the police but left Mr Crouch shortly afterwards. "Mr Earea ought reasonably to have known that if he failed to deliver Mr Crouch to his home or otherwise to a situation of safety, but left him lying on the footpath, there was a risk that Mr Crouch would wake up, wander on to the carriageway ... and be hit by a vehicle," Justice Fryberg said.
"In the circumstances a reasonable person in Mr Earea's position would have confirmed and recorded the address and would not have left Mr Crouch as Mr Earea did. Such a person would have allowed Mr Crouch to remain in the taxi until the police arrived or taken one of the other reasonable courses open in the circumstances." Mr Earea died before the trial began, leaving his insurance company to foot the bill after it "consented to be substituted for him in respect of the liability alleged against him".
Mr Crouch and Ms French were at a party in Southport on May 31 when Ms French, who was heavily pregnant at the time, went home leaving her husband to drink with his friends. Hours later, an intoxicated Mr Crouch was put into a cab by his mates who told the driver his address, however he was dropped at the wrong place and, in an attempt to get himself home, he was hit by two vehicles and died at the scene.
Justice George Fryberg on Friday found the cab driver, Stephen Earea, had left Mr Crouch lying on the side of Yangoora Crescent when he was unable to find his actual address. Mr Earea called the police but left Mr Crouch shortly afterwards. "Mr Earea ought reasonably to have known that if he failed to deliver Mr Crouch to his home or otherwise to a situation of safety, but left him lying on the footpath, there was a risk that Mr Crouch would wake up, wander on to the carriageway ... and be hit by a vehicle," Justice Fryberg said.
"In the circumstances a reasonable person in Mr Earea's position would have confirmed and recorded the address and would not have left Mr Crouch as Mr Earea did. Such a person would have allowed Mr Crouch to remain in the taxi until the police arrived or taken one of the other reasonable courses open in the circumstances." Mr Earea died before the trial began, leaving his insurance company to foot the bill after it "consented to be substituted for him in respect of the liability alleged against him".
Sympathy card foils fake death money scam
If you’re going to extort money from your employer by saying your wife died from cancer, make sure she doesn’t get the card at home expressing condolences on her death.
That’s what Hudson police say happened in the case of Scott Wellington, a 31-year-old Greenville man, who is facing two counts of theft by deception for allegedly telling his employer, C&M Machine Products in Hudson, that his wife was seriously ill with cancer with the intent of getting money out of them.
After being told of his wife’s illness, the company donated $7,000 to the Wellington family. According to police, Wellington then told his company his wife had died, prompting a sympathy card to be sent to their residence.
The the ruse was rumbled when the wife received the card at their home. She called the authorities to let them know she was in fact still alive and never had cancer. Bail for Wellington was set at $2,500 cash or surety. Wellington is being held for arraignment on Monday.
That’s what Hudson police say happened in the case of Scott Wellington, a 31-year-old Greenville man, who is facing two counts of theft by deception for allegedly telling his employer, C&M Machine Products in Hudson, that his wife was seriously ill with cancer with the intent of getting money out of them.
After being told of his wife’s illness, the company donated $7,000 to the Wellington family. According to police, Wellington then told his company his wife had died, prompting a sympathy card to be sent to their residence.
The the ruse was rumbled when the wife received the card at their home. She called the authorities to let them know she was in fact still alive and never had cancer. Bail for Wellington was set at $2,500 cash or surety. Wellington is being held for arraignment on Monday.
Kitten recovers after 7-storey fall
A curious kitten who fell out of a Bronx mid-rise building is on the mend and will soon be ready for adoption. Two weeks ago the kitten, named Gilbert, nearly died after taking a hard fall seven stories from a building.
The four-month-old broke both of his front legs and fractured the upper roof of his mouth. Gilbert got a second chance at life thanks to a good Samaritan who found him and got him to the hospital.
LiveLeak link.
"All in all he's a very lucky kitten," said Dr. Stephanie Janeczko of Animal Care and Control. "Extremely lucky!"
With two paws in casts, Gilbert has a few more weeks of recovery before he'll be able to walk out the door into someone's home. "Despite all of these injuries, he's going to be good as new," said Dr. Janeczko.
The four-month-old broke both of his front legs and fractured the upper roof of his mouth. Gilbert got a second chance at life thanks to a good Samaritan who found him and got him to the hospital.
LiveLeak link.
"All in all he's a very lucky kitten," said Dr. Stephanie Janeczko of Animal Care and Control. "Extremely lucky!"
With two paws in casts, Gilbert has a few more weeks of recovery before he'll be able to walk out the door into someone's home. "Despite all of these injuries, he's going to be good as new," said Dr. Janeczko.
Grilled Panini with Apples and Cheddar Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat a panini press on medium heat. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill.
Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices and cheese over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple and 2 ounces of cheese for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices.
Lightly coat panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.
Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- 8 slices whole grain bread
- 1/2 cup low-fat honey mustard
- 2 apples, sliced thin
- 8 ounces low-fat Cheddar cheese, sliced thin
Directions:Preheat a panini press on medium heat. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill.
Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices and cheese over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple and 2 ounces of cheese for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices.
Lightly coat panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.
Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Grilled Panini with Apples and Cheddar Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat a panini press on medium heat. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill.
Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices and cheese over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple and 2 ounces of cheese for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices.
Lightly coat panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.
Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- 8 slices whole grain bread
- 1/2 cup low-fat honey mustard
- 2 apples, sliced thin
- 8 ounces low-fat Cheddar cheese, sliced thin
Directions:Preheat a panini press on medium heat. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill.
Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices and cheese over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple and 2 ounces of cheese for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices.
Lightly coat panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.
Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Urinating chihuahua causes courthouse bomb scare
An abandoned backpack outside the Central Islip courthouse triggered an emergency response on Friday after a man left it in shrubbery.
Nineteen-year-old Melvin Ruffin from Bellport said that when he was on a bus en route to the courthouse, a woman's chihuahua relieved itself on his backpack. Not wanting to go into the building with the scent of dog, Ruffin decided to leave the backpack in the bushes.
Video.
Nineteen-year-old Melvin Ruffin from Bellport said that when he was on a bus en route to the courthouse, a woman's chihuahua relieved itself on his backpack. Not wanting to go into the building with the scent of dog, Ruffin decided to leave the backpack in the bushes.
Video.
Ham slice dispute lands four in hospital
Four people were hospitalised in Italy on Saturday after a dispute over the thickness of a supermarket's ham slices turned violent.
The row broke out when a 50-year-old woman shopping in the Tuscany town of Livorno protested that the ham slices being cut by a counter assistant were too thick.
A scuffle unfolded involving the shop assistant's father as well as the woman's husband and two sons. Police were called and three ambulances were also sent to the scene.
The shop assistant, the disgruntled ham shopper and her husband all suffered bruises and were treated in hospital. The shop assistant's father was also hospitalised after feeling ill.
The row broke out when a 50-year-old woman shopping in the Tuscany town of Livorno protested that the ham slices being cut by a counter assistant were too thick.
A scuffle unfolded involving the shop assistant's father as well as the woman's husband and two sons. Police were called and three ambulances were also sent to the scene.
The shop assistant, the disgruntled ham shopper and her husband all suffered bruises and were treated in hospital. The shop assistant's father was also hospitalised after feeling ill.
Cheese responsible for man's cocaine charge jailing
A favourite food of millions may have been the culprit in false drug-test results that led to a California man's jailing on cocaine charges. The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office said on Friday an enzyme present in cheese and possibly some types of dough appeared to have yielded false results that led to cocaine charges against Antonio Hernandez Carranza.
Hernandez spent four days in the Buncombe County jail until state lab results showed the substances in the back of his truck were tortilla dough, cheese and other food. Buncombe Sheriff Van Duncan and Lt. Randy Sorrells said they only recently learned how the common food can fool drug tests.
Positive tests are considered probable cause and can be used to bring charges and jail suspects under high bonds, effectively keeping them imprisoned. Along with revealing the test flaw, police are also now saying they will reimburse Hernandez for $400 in food taken following his May 1 arrest.
The sheriff said officials are trying to speak with the president of the company of at least one of the test manufacturers. “What we are going to do now is check with the manufacturers and find out what they have found can cause false positives and put that into the training with our officers,” Duncan said.
Hernandez spent four days in the Buncombe County jail until state lab results showed the substances in the back of his truck were tortilla dough, cheese and other food. Buncombe Sheriff Van Duncan and Lt. Randy Sorrells said they only recently learned how the common food can fool drug tests.
Positive tests are considered probable cause and can be used to bring charges and jail suspects under high bonds, effectively keeping them imprisoned. Along with revealing the test flaw, police are also now saying they will reimburse Hernandez for $400 in food taken following his May 1 arrest.
The sheriff said officials are trying to speak with the president of the company of at least one of the test manufacturers. “What we are going to do now is check with the manufacturers and find out what they have found can cause false positives and put that into the training with our officers,” Duncan said.
Deer in day care centre 'put out of misery' by police
As severe weather ripped through South Carolina, some wild animals frantically searched for shelter, causing one deer to crash through a day care centre window.
It happened at Conway Adult Day Care on Tuesday evening when a deer, shaken up during the hail, crashed through a window and caused quite a mess inside.
LiveLeak link.
The entire ordeal was caught on surveillance cameras inside the centre and shows the deer scrambling after crashing through the window and then roaming a hallway. Donna Vance said the damage is estimated at being worth $2,000, which insurance won't cover.
"I had to replace our window, our carpets," Vance said. "I had to completely replace all the bedding." The deer was eventually caught and taken from the building by Conway Police, and was unfortunately put down. No one else was injured.
It happened at Conway Adult Day Care on Tuesday evening when a deer, shaken up during the hail, crashed through a window and caused quite a mess inside.
LiveLeak link.
The entire ordeal was caught on surveillance cameras inside the centre and shows the deer scrambling after crashing through the window and then roaming a hallway. Donna Vance said the damage is estimated at being worth $2,000, which insurance won't cover.
"I had to replace our window, our carpets," Vance said. "I had to completely replace all the bedding." The deer was eventually caught and taken from the building by Conway Police, and was unfortunately put down. No one else was injured.
Nude pedestrian wanted to face fear of being naked in public
A naked man was arrested walking down the street in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday night, just after 6:30 p.m.
Police say 20-year-old Jonathan Palmer was walking in the area of 15th and Hill when they caught up with him. Lt. Kent Lipple says dispatchers received several calls from people saying they'd seen him.
Lipple says Palmer was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but rather, Palmer wanted to conquer his own fears and help the public conquer its fears too. "He wanted to face his fear of being naked in public," Lipple said.
According to Lipple, Palmer told arresting officers: "I want the public to understand it's okay to see a naked man walk down the road." Lipple says the man was cooperative and articulate. Palmer was arrested on a misdemeanor public nudity charge.
Police say 20-year-old Jonathan Palmer was walking in the area of 15th and Hill when they caught up with him. Lt. Kent Lipple says dispatchers received several calls from people saying they'd seen him.
Lipple says Palmer was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but rather, Palmer wanted to conquer his own fears and help the public conquer its fears too. "He wanted to face his fear of being naked in public," Lipple said.
According to Lipple, Palmer told arresting officers: "I want the public to understand it's okay to see a naked man walk down the road." Lipple says the man was cooperative and articulate. Palmer was arrested on a misdemeanor public nudity charge.
Couple who claim to be Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene set up base in Australia
A couple who claim they are Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene have set up base in Queensland's Bible Belt and are drawing in disciples from across the country. The pair, real names Alan John Miller and Mary Suzanne Luck, operate from rural Wilkesdale, near Kingaroy, where they claim to have been joined by 30-40 followers.
"My name is Jesus and I'm serious," Mr Miller says. Cult watchers and the Anglican and Catholic churches are concerned the pair, who ask followers to donate to sustain them, could draw in the vulnerable.
Mr Miller bought a 16ha property at Wilkesdale in 2007 and his Divine Truth followers have since been buying nearby blocks to be close to the charismatic leader, 47, and Ms Luck, 32. Locals and real estate agents confirmed the group had sparked an unlikely property boom, with estimates they have bought up to 30 blocks and with new properties in high demand.
Followers joined forces in 2009 to buy a $400,000, 240ha property where they hold weekly meetings and plan to build a centre for international visitors. In an apparent coincidence, land clearing has created a giant cross on neighbouring properties. Locals insisted it was not carved deliberately.
"My name is Jesus and I'm serious," Mr Miller says. Cult watchers and the Anglican and Catholic churches are concerned the pair, who ask followers to donate to sustain them, could draw in the vulnerable.
Mr Miller bought a 16ha property at Wilkesdale in 2007 and his Divine Truth followers have since been buying nearby blocks to be close to the charismatic leader, 47, and Ms Luck, 32. Locals and real estate agents confirmed the group had sparked an unlikely property boom, with estimates they have bought up to 30 blocks and with new properties in high demand.
Followers joined forces in 2009 to buy a $400,000, 240ha property where they hold weekly meetings and plan to build a centre for international visitors. In an apparent coincidence, land clearing has created a giant cross on neighbouring properties. Locals insisted it was not carved deliberately.
123-year-old Jack the Ripper files still censored by police
Files with the names of four Jack the Ripper suspects which could help solve the 123-year-old mystery are being censored by police. In a legal ruling, police documents relating to the Whitechapel Murders are being kept under lock and key on the grounds releasing them could threaten national security.
The Metropolitan Police claim the files include names of long-dead Victorian “supergrasses” who should never be made public. They say releasing the names could lead to living relatives being attacked and make it harder to recruit new informants, wrecking counter-terrorism operations. Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on legal hearings to block the release of the files.
But retired murder detective and author Trevor Marriott has launched a legal fight to force the police to release them. Trevor, who has written two books on the Ripper, found out about the files while doing research. He applied to see them but was shown an edited version with names blacked out.“These files should be made public at once,” he said. “They are some of the most interesting records on the case I’ve come across. Some of the informants died more than 100 years ago so to censor the documents is absurd.”
The 900-page dossier holds unseen evidence on the 1888 murders of the five East London prostitutes, including intriguing details about how Special Branch became involved. Det Supt Julian McKinney, head of Covert Operations at the Met, said: “An informant today, if they know in 100 years their identity will be given over, may not wish to co-operate with us.”
The Metropolitan Police claim the files include names of long-dead Victorian “supergrasses” who should never be made public. They say releasing the names could lead to living relatives being attacked and make it harder to recruit new informants, wrecking counter-terrorism operations. Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on legal hearings to block the release of the files.
But retired murder detective and author Trevor Marriott has launched a legal fight to force the police to release them. Trevor, who has written two books on the Ripper, found out about the files while doing research. He applied to see them but was shown an edited version with names blacked out.“These files should be made public at once,” he said. “They are some of the most interesting records on the case I’ve come across. Some of the informants died more than 100 years ago so to censor the documents is absurd.”
The 900-page dossier holds unseen evidence on the 1888 murders of the five East London prostitutes, including intriguing details about how Special Branch became involved. Det Supt Julian McKinney, head of Covert Operations at the Met, said: “An informant today, if they know in 100 years their identity will be given over, may not wish to co-operate with us.”
Driver had bees in his bonnet
A family of bees almost destroyed a man’s car after deciding it was a suitable place to make their honeycomb. When Alf James, 81, took his 11-year-old Peugeot 106 into his local garage in Haslingden, Lancashire, he was shocked at what he was told. When mechanics looked at Mr. James’s car they discovered that two of the vehicle’s cylinder head ports were completely blocked with honeycomb.
“I thought the garage was playing a trick on me, I thought it was a joke”, said Mr. James. “My garden is a haven for bees, it’s a real hassle for us in the summer months. Never in my years did I think that the bees would make my car their home!”
Neil Wright, manager of G & N Auto Co Ltd, said: “In nearly 25 years of working in this business, I have never seen anything like this. The car was misfiring and running badly. When we started to investigate, there were no bees present in the car so we certainly weren’t expecting to find a honeycomb. It was amazing that the car was still running, as the rock solid honeycomb was completely blocking two of the four cylinder head inlet ports.
“Upon further investigation it was found that the bees must have flown into the garage, then under the car’s bonnet, through a gap in the air filter housing, along the air inlet pipe, past the throttle valve, into the inlet manifold and then started to build their nest in the cylinder head inlet port. It’s quite extraordinary.”
“I thought the garage was playing a trick on me, I thought it was a joke”, said Mr. James. “My garden is a haven for bees, it’s a real hassle for us in the summer months. Never in my years did I think that the bees would make my car their home!”
Neil Wright, manager of G & N Auto Co Ltd, said: “In nearly 25 years of working in this business, I have never seen anything like this. The car was misfiring and running badly. When we started to investigate, there were no bees present in the car so we certainly weren’t expecting to find a honeycomb. It was amazing that the car was still running, as the rock solid honeycomb was completely blocking two of the four cylinder head inlet ports.
“Upon further investigation it was found that the bees must have flown into the garage, then under the car’s bonnet, through a gap in the air filter housing, along the air inlet pipe, past the throttle valve, into the inlet manifold and then started to build their nest in the cylinder head inlet port. It’s quite extraordinary.”
Dog's mystery lump was grass seed growing inside him
Vets were baffled by the mysterious lump growing on Riley the springer spaniel's side – and they were even more
surprised when they discovered the cause. Vicky Betts of Hadleigh, Suffolk, noticed the lump on her pet last month and, being a
veterinary nursing assistant, she decided to take him to work for some expert advice. The 25-year-old, who works at Highcliff Veterinary Practice in Hadleigh, said: “The vet had a feel and took a biopsy and gave Riley some anti-inflammatories.”
She added: “It just looked like he had knocked himself but when the drugs didn’t work and the lump got even bigger, I brought him back into work.” Veterinary surgeon Sarah Tavener decided the best option was to remove the lump from the two-year-old. It was not until Riley was on the operating table that the vet realised the full extent of what had happened. She said: “After considerable probing, I found a tract leading in towards the chest which indicated that it was likely to be a foreign body.
“I managed to free the lump from the body wall and stitch up the dog’s wound. The lump was cut in half and seemed to have pockets of pus, but when we squeezed it a tiny grass seed popped out from its centre.” She said Riley must have inhaled the grass seed last summer and since then it had been migrating through his body, causing a reaction under the skin. He effectively had grass growing inside him.
Mrs Betts said while it was rare for cases like Riley’s to be seen at the practice, they did see a lot of dogs with grass seeds stuck in between their paws in long hair. It is very common to see dogs, particularly springer spaniels, with grass seeds that have worked their way into the skin around paws or ears, but this was quite unusual,” she added.
She added: “It just looked like he had knocked himself but when the drugs didn’t work and the lump got even bigger, I brought him back into work.” Veterinary surgeon Sarah Tavener decided the best option was to remove the lump from the two-year-old. It was not until Riley was on the operating table that the vet realised the full extent of what had happened. She said: “After considerable probing, I found a tract leading in towards the chest which indicated that it was likely to be a foreign body.
“I managed to free the lump from the body wall and stitch up the dog’s wound. The lump was cut in half and seemed to have pockets of pus, but when we squeezed it a tiny grass seed popped out from its centre.” She said Riley must have inhaled the grass seed last summer and since then it had been migrating through his body, causing a reaction under the skin. He effectively had grass growing inside him.
Mrs Betts said while it was rare for cases like Riley’s to be seen at the practice, they did see a lot of dogs with grass seeds stuck in between their paws in long hair. It is very common to see dogs, particularly springer spaniels, with grass seeds that have worked their way into the skin around paws or ears, but this was quite unusual,” she added.
The New Zealand Poetry Society’s 2011 international poetry competition closes 31 May.
There is still time to send entries in, for both adult and junior entrants.
Entry fees range from $1 for junior haiku to $6 for open verse. Schools receive discounts for multiple entries. Online payment is available via PayPal.
There are separate cash prizes for each section, and for different age groups.
The 2011 judges are Tim Upperton, Adrienne Jansen, Joanna Preston and Owen Bullock, all highly regarded published poets.
Competition guidelines and downloadable entry forms are available on the NZPS website, at http://www.poetrysociety.org.nz/2011comp or contact the Competition Secretary at mailto:competition@poetrysociety.org.nz
Entry fees range from $1 for junior haiku to $6 for open verse. Schools receive discounts for multiple entries. Online payment is available via PayPal.
There are separate cash prizes for each section, and for different age groups.
The 2011 judges are Tim Upperton, Adrienne Jansen, Joanna Preston and Owen Bullock, all highly regarded published poets.
Competition guidelines and downloadable entry forms are available on the NZPS website, at http://www.poetrysociety.org.nz/2011comp or contact the Competition Secretary at mailto:competition@poetrysociety.org.nz
See You On Monday!
Heading off for a weekend religious retreat. I'm looking forward to all of it save for the part where I can't have a laptop or my beloved Droid 2.
Three whole days without the Interweb Tubes. Pray for me.
Update: this should have been posted Thursday night, but the Blogger system was down.
Parsons Bookshop Auckland - Ai Weiwei publications
Ai Weiwei Under Construction Sherman Galleries Exhibition catalogue Charles Merewether
Ai Weiwei Contemporary Artists Series Karen Smith , Hans-Ulrich Obrist
Vitamin 3D New Perspectives in Sculpture and Installation Anne Ellegood
Contemporary Asian Art Melissa Chiu & Benjamin Genocchio
Ai Weiwei Unilever Series Tate Modern Turbine Hall Installation Sunflower Seeds Juliet Bingham
Ai Weiwei’s Blog Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants 2006-2009 $59.95
Edited and translated by Lee Ambrozy
21st Century Art in the First Decade $65.00
Also features John Pule and Fiona Pardington
Shanshui Landscape in Contemporary Chinese Art Peter Fisher
Ai Weiwei Speaks with Hans-Ulrich Obrist
Due October 2011 in New Zealand
Parsons Bookshop Auckland
26 Wellesley Street East
Phone +64 9 303 1557
Romancing the tablet
: How Harlequin is revolutionizing the e-book market
John Barber
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Saturday, May. 14, 2011
Donna's heart fluttered tremulously as Dave faced the room to announce the company's disappointing quarterly results. Bursting with her own good news, it was all she could do to maintain a seemly frown as her handsome obelisk of a boss performed his melancholy duty. Oh, how it hurt to pretend that business was only so-so when she knew – when every woman knew – the forbidden truth. Yet hurt she must – anything to soothe the fiery emotions surging
As a result, Donna (Hayes, president of Harlequin Enterprises, distaff subsidiary of the Torstar media conglomerate) did her best to play down her own success at the company's recent annual general meeting. The fact that cheap, steamy romance novels currently contribute an unprecedented 50 per cent of Torstar's operating profit is just a seasonal anomaly, she suggests. “But it is unusual,” she allows.
In fact, Harlequin is a major player in what is so far the world's most successful market for electronic literature. While other publishers shrink from e-readers like lisping villains faced with a fully flexed Fabio, Harlequin and its competitors have found their perfect match.
Full piece at Globe & Mail.
John Barber
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Saturday, May. 14, 2011
Donna's heart fluttered tremulously as Dave faced the room to announce the company's disappointing quarterly results. Bursting with her own good news, it was all she could do to maintain a seemly frown as her handsome obelisk of a boss performed his melancholy duty. Oh, how it hurt to pretend that business was only so-so when she knew – when every woman knew – the forbidden truth. Yet hurt she must – anything to soothe the fiery emotions surging As a result, Donna (Hayes, president of Harlequin Enterprises, distaff subsidiary of the Torstar media conglomerate) did her best to play down her own success at the company's recent annual general meeting. The fact that cheap, steamy romance novels currently contribute an unprecedented 50 per cent of Torstar's operating profit is just a seasonal anomaly, she suggests. “But it is unusual,” she allows.
In fact, Harlequin is a major player in what is so far the world's most successful market for electronic literature. While other publishers shrink from e-readers like lisping villains faced with a fully flexed Fabio, Harlequin and its competitors have found their perfect match.
Full piece at Globe & Mail.
AWRF 2011 - bouquets and brickbats
What a fabulous few days starting with the enormously entertaining, and occasionally thought-provoking New Zealand Listener Gala Night on Thursday followed by three days and nights of sessions featuring authors, illustrators and artists from New Zealand and around the world. I enjoyed every session I attended. Bravo.
Bouquets:
* The opening night - after years of dreary events the organisers got it right - in spades!
*Large buzzy crowds
*the Festival Bookshop run by the Womens Bookshop and Unity Books. What wonderful service, all those fabulous books, every author present had massed dispolays of their titles. A special mention for Caro and Carole - knowledgeable, friendly, helpful.
* the volunteers, the Festival couldn't happen without them.
*Madhur Jaffrey - what a star
*Al Brown's chairing of an Evening with AA Gill. He deserves a medal, and more importantly he must have a session of his own at the next Festival.
*Graphic novels, comics and cartoons - best session I attended. The New Zealand brains trust of the graphic novel/cartoon/comic business on stage, they delivered the goods.
*Chairmanship - all round standard very high indeed.
*The Allpress coffee stand.
*Michele Leggot's delivery of her beautiful and moving poem written for her niece's wedding.
Brickbats:
*Three sessions happening simultaneously, so frustrating. What about adopting the Wellington model where only one event is held at a time?
*The Box cafe - not enough staff which meant that often there was only one till operating which in turn meant that when you only had half an hour between Festival sessions it was not possible to get a snack and coffee. Unimpressive selection of food. And it was almost all gone by 1.30pm!
*The bar on the ground floor which inexplicably was closed when you came out of the evening sessions at 9.00pm and wanted to share a glass of wine with your friends and chat about what you had just heard.
*Doubling up of authors on panels when they should have had an "Hour with" session of their own e.g. Carl Nixon and Sarah Quigley.
*Too many poets in poetry sessions - eight in one case and poetry from seven poets in another. Make the sessions longer, please!
*Cost of parking - we spent almost $80 over the weekend. What about a special rate being struck for Festival goers?
A FINE TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL KING
I was delighted to catch up with Christchurch-based novelist Rachael King at the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival . She presented me with an advance copy of THE SILENCE BEYOND - Selected Writing by Michael King in which Rachael has written an introduction and which will be published by Penguin Books next month.
The book was the idea of Rachael, her brother, film-maker Jonathan King, and publishing consultant Geoff Walker who was at the time Publisher at Penguin Books.
The book includes some unpublished work and much which hasd appeared in anthologies that are long out of print and which many of us will not have seen before.
I'm thrilled to see this book, "a timely and fitting tribute to one of New Zealand's greatest modern thinkers."
Put your name down for it now at your favourite bookshop or library.
The Novel in the Viola
By Natasha SolomonsReviewed by Nicky Pellegrino
Again Solomons is writing of a Jewish refugee fleeing Hitler’s Europe. Elise Landau is the cosseted child of Viennese intellectuals who is sent by her family to safety in England. With only a copy of Mrs Beeton’s Household Management to guide her she must go into domestic service. Frightened and alone she finds herself in a large country house on the Dorset coast where she is to clean out fireplaces and polish silver. The great house Tyneford is rather Downton Abbey with a butler and housekeeper that rule the roost and a handsome young master Kit, the golden boy everyone adores.
Kit and Elise invite scandal by falling madly in love. But this story is more than a maid-and-master wartime romance. Great change is coming to Tyneford and tragedy too, and to survive Elise must become a very different person.
The Novel In The Viola is an addictive read, capturing the period and its emotions beautifully. There’s something fascinating about the whole stately home milieu – the awful haughty aristocrats wedded to convention, the stern servants below stairs that prop up their lives and the ill-fated romance of the era’s final days. But it’s the character of Elise that’s the real strength of this novel. She is a heroine whose company you’ll enjoy: spirited, witty and daring. She wears her mother’s pearls beneath her maid’s uniform and refuses to know her place.
This is a lovely story, bittersweet and moving rather than whimsical, and while its ending might not surprise it ought to satisfy.
Footnote:
She is also the Books Editor of the Herald on Sunday where the above review was first published on 15 May, 2011 as were the Book Watch and Booklover columns below.
Book Watch
Children’s book specialist Crissi Blair reveals some of her favourites from the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards finalists.
With the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards ceremony coming up on 18 May, I’ve been looking through the finalists and lingering over some of my favourites.
I have several favourites in the picture book category, but Hill and Hole (Penguin) is different from the others, being quite abstract in concept and illustration. Author Kyle Mewburn first appeared on the shelves in 2006 with Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! (Scholastic) and has been going strong every since, with more than a dozen new titles since then (including last year’s NZ Post winner Old Hu-Hu). The current contender Hill and Hole, is about two best friends who decide they’d like to see the world from each other’s point of view – to see the sun rise, and feel the earth breathe. With some help from Mole, Hill becomes a hole and Hole becomes a hill. Soon they’re ready for a change again; Wind will help but it’s not an easy task. Vasanti Unka has done a superb job of bringing depth and personality to these unlikely characters, filling the landscape with texture and colour. A thoughtful, philosophical read about being happy with what we are, but also seeing the other’s point of view.
These are just three of the 20 terrific NZ Post Awards finalists, they’re a great place to start if you’re looking for something new for the kids (and you) to read, and decide for yourselves who you think the winners should be.
Booklover
Lindsey Dawson is the host of Let’s Talk, a weekly women’s issues show on Stratos TV, was the founding editor of Next magazine and has authored seven books.
The book I'm reading right now is.........Paul Auster’s Sunset Park. Auster’s one of those old-school writers who makes his craft seem effortless. This book is about a teenager who runs away because he can’t bear to confess the part he played in his brother’s death. Halfway through I’m realising there’s hardly any dialogue on the page, and yet I’m never bored by it as he details the messed up lives of a family.
The book that changed me is…......... The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. It’s the 1963 polemic that set off feminism. I can remember feverishly reading it in bed one night in my twenties, riveted by her arguments about how constricted women’s lives were in the post-war period, and thinking, “My God, this is how my mother felt! This is why she was so frustrated. This book is true!”
My favourite bookshop is…..... The Women’s Bookshop in Ponsonby, Auckland.
The book I wish I'd never read is.... .........The Celestine Prophecy by James Redman. It was huge in the 90s but has sunk out of sight. On a trip to Peru I heard how the locals despised him because his mythical spiritual tale set in their landscape didn’t even get the geography right. Redman sold 20 million copies of his book, one of them to me. Okay, call me a sucker.
Cinnamon Rolls!
Anyone that follows the Pioneer Woman knows her cinnamon rolls are kind of a big deal. She talks about them alot. People seem to like them. And most importantly, they look delicious. Tons of butter and sugar and cinnamon...all good things. Now I have to admit, I didn't use quite as much butter or sugar. I am not by any means the type of person that counts calories or uses non-fat ANYTHING but there is a LOT of both in the recipe and it scared me a little. And more importantly, I didn't really believe I needed it to make delicious rolls. And I was right! These still contain plenty of fat and sugar and are defintely not good for you. I also halved the recipe but it still makes a lot of cinnamon rolls. I made these for Mother's day and still have a bunch saved in the freezer. Yay!
Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
½ cup canola oil
½ cup sugar
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
4 cups (1 cup separated) all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tbsp salt
½ softened butter
¼ cup sugar
genereous sprinkling of cinnamon
Frosting:
½ bag icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla or maple syrup (I used vanilla but will try maple next time)
¼ cup milk
⅛ cup melted butter
⅛ cup brewed coffee (I used instant)
dash of salt
1. Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Heat until the mixture is just about to boil, turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. I'm not going to lie, I cheated a bit here...I think I let it cool for about 20 minutes and stuck it in the fridge for about another 5....basically let it cool until it's warm to the touch but NOT hot anymore or it will kill the yeast! Sprinkle in the yeast and let sit for a few minutes, until it starts to bubble. Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour in a warm place.
2. Once the dough is doubled, add 1 more cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together. Refrigerate if you're not using immediately for up to a day.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit, or 205 degrees Celsius
3. When ready to prepare rolls, take the dough and form a rough rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough thin, trying to stay in a general rectangular shape. I tried to roll the dough to about 1 cm thick but you're just going to have to go with your gut here. I think I rolled the dough too thick in the middle so my rolls had a pretty big range in sizes but they still turned out yummy :)
4. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Now sprinkle sugar over the butter (you can use more than I did...the original recipe calls for half a cup) followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
5. Begin rolling the dough along the long side in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it (umm...I JUST read this. I did not do this step. My rolls did not collapse but it's probably a good idea in retrospect)
6. Grease a few pans with butter. I used one 9x13 pan and two round cake pans. Cut the rolls about 1 inch thick and place them in the buttered pans. Let the rolls rise again for another 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden.
8. While the rolls are baking, make the frosting: mix together all the ingredients listed and stir until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Use more than you think you need, because the rolls will soak up the icing and the icing is GOOD. I don't even really like icing. Just trust me on this.
AWRF 2011 - A HUGE SUCCESS
Linda Herrick reporting in the New Zealand Herald today says that audience numbers for the Festival, which ended last night, are the highest yet - just over 32,000 people attended, a 21 per cent rise on last year's 26,500.
Read Linda's full story at the New Zealand Herald.
Footnote:
Congratulations to the organisers of the AWRF 2011 for a great event. The Bookman will do a wrap of the Festival including his annual Bouquets & Brickbats column later today.
The Bookman is off to Sydney on Wednesday for the announcement of the winner of the Man Booker International prize and will be reporting on the blog on that and other Sydney Writers Festival events.
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| Brent Phibbs photo. |
The festival was greatly boosted by A.A. Gill's Friday night session, which sold out all four levels of the ASB Theatre at the Aotea Centre, but many sessions through the weekend attracted healthy audience numbers.
Read Linda's full story at the New Zealand Herald.
Footnote:
Congratulations to the organisers of the AWRF 2011 for a great event. The Bookman will do a wrap of the Festival including his annual Bouquets & Brickbats column later today.
The Bookman is off to Sydney on Wednesday for the announcement of the winner of the Man Booker International prize and will be reporting on the blog on that and other Sydney Writers Festival events.
AWRF 2011 - AN HOUR WITH DAVID VANN and AN HOUR WITH TEA OBRECHT
Two most interesting and highly admired American fiction voices followed each other in the Sunday afternoon sessions in the main auditorium at the Aotea Centre.
David Vann
In discussion with Bill Manhire he talked about his two books, Legend of a Suicide and Caribou Island and read three excerpts from the latter. Vann is cuurently teaching at Victoria University and he and his wife are building a home in the Bay of Islands.
David Vann
He talked openly about writing from his family history, a history dotted with suicides and murders, and how he has fictionalised these stories, he taled of his writing habits, his reading and re-reading and his attentiion to line by line editing.
He was articulate and intellectual but not a good reader of his own work, he read far too fast.
His book Caribou Island I admire as a piece of writing but I can't say I enjoyed it, it was just too sad and unremittingly bleak, it left me unhappily stunned.
Tea Obrecht
This young writer, 26 years of age, has caused a sensation in literary circles with her first novel, The Tiger's Wife.
Paula Morris discussed her personal and public lives with her. Her ethnicity is half Bosnian, quarter Serbian and quarter Slovakian. She was born in Bosnia but educated in British schools in Cyprus and Egypt before moving to the US at the age of twelve where she has lived ever since. She went to University in Ithaca in upstate New York which she says "has two universities and snows a lot".
This is her first international literary event and her first visit to this part of the world. She read from her book but like the previous speaker she too is not a good reader of her own writing. It was too fast, there was no light and shade, and it was also too loud although this was the fault of the sound technicians rather than the author.
That aside it was a most interesting hour with a young writer about whom we are going to hear a lot more.
Author pic - Alexi Zentner
Pastırma: the Ultimate Spicy Turkish Bacon Lookalike
Today we had a perfectly lovely day: we were invited to a lunchtime BBQ with old friends including my very special old friend who has now moved to the UK and whom I don't see very often. The sun shone and it was beautifully warm as we sat out on her son's beautiful terrace in one of the new suburbs of Istanbul.
But this evening is the big match – or so I gather – between local teams Fenerbahçe and Ankara Gücü. Apparently it is critical: Fenerbahçe, our team, must win! What do I know?
It is obviously a rakı evening so just a little something was required: you don’t just drink rakı by itself. What we had that lent itself to the occasion was some pastırma which is a kind of cured beef. This is sometimes mistakenly called the Turkish bacon. Why I am not quite sure as it isn’t pork. I suppose because it looks like rashers. But there the resemblance ends.
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| pastırma ready to be popped in the oven |
It is obviously a rakı evening so just a little something was required: you don’t just drink rakı by itself. What we had that lent itself to the occasion was some pastırma which is a kind of cured beef. This is sometimes mistakenly called the Turkish bacon. Why I am not quite sure as it isn’t pork. I suppose because it looks like rashers. But there the resemblance ends.
Actually I have to confess it smells divine especially once it is in the oven. Nothing like bacon which I also adore. This has a spicy zing to it. You buy it either by the gram from a delicatessen or in a packet from a supermarket. There is a further choice: do you want it with an extra spicy edge or without? Personally, I think, with. This is called çemen: a cumin-based paste including not only cumin but fenugreek, garlic, and hot paprika. Mmmmm.
Anyway, I opened up the packet and laid out all the slices on a large sheet of foil. On top I put slices of lemon, tomato, and a few green peppers. I then folded the edges over so the contents were totally enclosed and then into the oven preheated at 180C/350F for about 25 mins. I must admit the smell that all those flavours together emitted was positively mouthwatering.
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| slices of juicy lemon add to the taste as well as tomato and green pepper |
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| you wrap it up like this |
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| after cooking: all those juices and spices have mingled |
Finally I served it to TT who was well installed in front of the TV and he was delighted! He especially enjoyed the presentation on a wooden board with a couple of slices of brown bread.
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| I guess he liked it! |
The match has just finished with a resounding win for Fenerbahçe: 6:0!!!
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