Sunday, May 22, 2011
Man found chained to box of sand in raft on river
A crab fisherman discovered a 32-year-old Williamsburg man wrapped in chains floating in a life raft on the James River, near Hogg Island, at around 7 a.m. on Friday. The man was chained to a black box in the raft.
"I actually thought he was dead so I just kind of you know touched his arm, and when I did, he moved and it was like he was delirious. He didn't know what he was talking about, and I asked where are you from, and how did you get out here with chains around your neck," said fisherman Allen Jenkins.
"I didn't know he was laying on top of a bomb or a box of drugs or money or what, and you know instead of answering questions, he reached underneath of himself and I didn't know what he was going to grab, so I had my crew and everybody there so I just backed away," said Jenkins.
State Police technicians X-rayed the box and determined it only contained sand. Police say the incident is not terrorist related. Once back on land, police took the man into custody without incident. Officers say he was intoxicated. No criminal charges have been filed.
With news video.
"I actually thought he was dead so I just kind of you know touched his arm, and when I did, he moved and it was like he was delirious. He didn't know what he was talking about, and I asked where are you from, and how did you get out here with chains around your neck," said fisherman Allen Jenkins.
"I didn't know he was laying on top of a bomb or a box of drugs or money or what, and you know instead of answering questions, he reached underneath of himself and I didn't know what he was going to grab, so I had my crew and everybody there so I just backed away," said Jenkins.
State Police technicians X-rayed the box and determined it only contained sand. Police say the incident is not terrorist related. Once back on land, police took the man into custody without incident. Officers say he was intoxicated. No criminal charges have been filed.
With news video.
Woman pulled sword from scabbard during argument at Pizza Hut
Police say a woman involved in an argument at a Louisville Pizza Hut raised the stakes considerably when she tried to pull a sword. It happened on Thursday night, shortly after 9 p.m. at the Pizza Hut near Dixie Hwy.
According to an arrest report, police were called to the restaurant after they received reports that 29-year-old Wynika Mason was "causing trouble." When they got there, she allegedly began yelling at the officers.
An employee told the officers that, shortly before they arrived, Mason began yelling at him and told him that she had a sword on her person. The employee said that Mason, "began to raise it out of the sheath" when her brother seized it from her and put it in their vehicle outside.
Police say Mason told them that she did indeed have a sword and it was still in the vehicle. Officers recovered the sword. Officers say customers and employees were both inside the Pizza Hut when the events occurred, and that the employees, "felt threatened by her behaviour." Mason was charged with disorderly conduct and menacing behaviour.
According to an arrest report, police were called to the restaurant after they received reports that 29-year-old Wynika Mason was "causing trouble." When they got there, she allegedly began yelling at the officers.
An employee told the officers that, shortly before they arrived, Mason began yelling at him and told him that she had a sword on her person. The employee said that Mason, "began to raise it out of the sheath" when her brother seized it from her and put it in their vehicle outside.
Police say Mason told them that she did indeed have a sword and it was still in the vehicle. Officers recovered the sword. Officers say customers and employees were both inside the Pizza Hut when the events occurred, and that the employees, "felt threatened by her behaviour." Mason was charged with disorderly conduct and menacing behaviour.
Saudi woman driver detained by police
Authorities detained a Saudi woman on Saturday after she launched a campaign against the driving ban for women in the ultra-conservative kingdom and posted a videotape of herself behind the wheel to encourage others to copy her. Manal al-Sherif and a group of other women have started a Facebook page called "Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself", which urges authorities to lift the driving ban.
Human-rights activist Walid Abou el-Kheir said Ms Sherif was detained by the country's religious police. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to ban women – both Saudi and foreign – from driving. The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers, and those who cannot afford the $300 to $400 a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them to work, school, shopping or the doctor. They cannot travel without permission from a male guardian and shouldn't mingle with males who are not their husbands or brothers.
The campaign – ksawomen2drive – has focused on the importance of women driving in times of emergency, and on low-income families. Ms Sherif said that, unlike the traditional argument in Saudi Arabia that driving exposes women to sinful temptations by allowing them to mingle with policemen and mechanics, women who drive can avoid sexual harassment from their drivers and protect their "dignity".
YouTube link.
The campaigners are calling for a mass drive on 17 June. The group say women joining the campaign should not challenge authorities if they are stopped and questioned, and should abide by the country's strict dress code. "We want to live as complete citizens, without the humiliation that we are subjected to every day because we are tied to a driver. We are not here to break the law ... we are here to claim one of our simplest rights."
Human-rights activist Walid Abou el-Kheir said Ms Sherif was detained by the country's religious police. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to ban women – both Saudi and foreign – from driving. The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers, and those who cannot afford the $300 to $400 a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them to work, school, shopping or the doctor. They cannot travel without permission from a male guardian and shouldn't mingle with males who are not their husbands or brothers.
The campaign – ksawomen2drive – has focused on the importance of women driving in times of emergency, and on low-income families. Ms Sherif said that, unlike the traditional argument in Saudi Arabia that driving exposes women to sinful temptations by allowing them to mingle with policemen and mechanics, women who drive can avoid sexual harassment from their drivers and protect their "dignity".
YouTube link.
The campaigners are calling for a mass drive on 17 June. The group say women joining the campaign should not challenge authorities if they are stopped and questioned, and should abide by the country's strict dress code. "We want to live as complete citizens, without the humiliation that we are subjected to every day because we are tied to a driver. We are not here to break the law ... we are here to claim one of our simplest rights."
Drunk parrots falling from the sky in Australia
Drunken lorikeets are falling out of the sky. The Northern Territory may have the toughest alcohol laws in Australia, but a Palmerston vet is preparing for a season of alcohol-fuelled avian vertigo.
The noisy birds act in a drunken manner and then fall over, according to Ark Animal Hospital vet Dr Stephen Cutter.
He says they are not drinking alcohol, but may eat from a plant that causes them to become drunk. "It's probably a plant with alcohol, or toxins in a plant making it worse," he said.
Dr Cutter said The Ark had received about half a dozen sick parrots so far this year. "It usually happens every May - it's hard to predict," he said.
The noisy birds act in a drunken manner and then fall over, according to Ark Animal Hospital vet Dr Stephen Cutter.
He says they are not drinking alcohol, but may eat from a plant that causes them to become drunk. "It's probably a plant with alcohol, or toxins in a plant making it worse," he said.
Dr Cutter said The Ark had received about half a dozen sick parrots so far this year. "It usually happens every May - it's hard to predict," he said.
Woman threatened restaurant staff with grenade
Police say a homeless woman entered a Dairy Queen restaurant and threatened employees with a grenade.
When 30-year-old Renee Deshaies attempted to leave the scene in Mesa on Thursday evening, she still had the grenade in her hand. The victims believed the grenade was real and feared for their safety.
Police say the grenade was not real and was only used for training purposes. When Deshaies was interviewed, she believed it was real.
She was arrested less than a mile away from the scene. Deshaies faces disorderly conduct and misconduct with a simulated explosive charges.
When 30-year-old Renee Deshaies attempted to leave the scene in Mesa on Thursday evening, she still had the grenade in her hand. The victims believed the grenade was real and feared for their safety.
Police say the grenade was not real and was only used for training purposes. When Deshaies was interviewed, she believed it was real.
She was arrested less than a mile away from the scene. Deshaies faces disorderly conduct and misconduct with a simulated explosive charges.
British inventor plans spectacles revolution for developing countries
A British atomic physicist is liaising with the World Bank on a revolutionary project to distribute spectacles to 200 million children in developing countries. Users will be able to adjust the glasses to their own personal prescription without help from an optician. "All users have to do is look at a reading chart and adjust the glasses until they can see letters clearly," said Professor Joshua Silver.
Silver estimates that more than a billion adults in developing nations have poor eyesight. This seriously limits their education and employment prospects. He is now working with the World Bank and the Dow Corning Corporation – which makes the silicone materials used in his revolutionary glasses – to supply 200 million pairs of self-adjusting spectacles to schoolchildren in Africa and Asia. Ultimately, he hopes a billion pairs of the glasses will be made.
Silver, a professor of physics at Oxford University and director of Oxford-based Centre for Vision in the Developing World, has created low-cost glasses that can be tuned by the wearer. His spectacles have "adaptive lenses", which consist of two thin membranes separated by silicone gel. The wearer simply looks at an eye chart and pumps in more or less fluid to change the curvature of the lens, which adjusts the prescription.
YouTube link.
Silver's spectacles have two disadvantages, however. They currently cost around £15 a pair to make. "We have to get that cost down if we want to get these in numbers to children in Africa or Asia," said Silver. "We are working on that, and I expect we'll get the price down to around £1 a pair. At that cost, the plan to supply 200 million glasses becomes practicable." Silver also acknowledges that his glasses – which have thick, round rims – are not particularly attractive. "If we want teenagers to wear them, we will have to make them less obtrusive and more stylish. In essence, we want to make them look just like standard glasses. I am very hopeful we will succeed."
Silver estimates that more than a billion adults in developing nations have poor eyesight. This seriously limits their education and employment prospects. He is now working with the World Bank and the Dow Corning Corporation – which makes the silicone materials used in his revolutionary glasses – to supply 200 million pairs of self-adjusting spectacles to schoolchildren in Africa and Asia. Ultimately, he hopes a billion pairs of the glasses will be made.
Silver, a professor of physics at Oxford University and director of Oxford-based Centre for Vision in the Developing World, has created low-cost glasses that can be tuned by the wearer. His spectacles have "adaptive lenses", which consist of two thin membranes separated by silicone gel. The wearer simply looks at an eye chart and pumps in more or less fluid to change the curvature of the lens, which adjusts the prescription.
YouTube link.
Silver's spectacles have two disadvantages, however. They currently cost around £15 a pair to make. "We have to get that cost down if we want to get these in numbers to children in Africa or Asia," said Silver. "We are working on that, and I expect we'll get the price down to around £1 a pair. At that cost, the plan to supply 200 million glasses becomes practicable." Silver also acknowledges that his glasses – which have thick, round rims – are not particularly attractive. "If we want teenagers to wear them, we will have to make them less obtrusive and more stylish. In essence, we want to make them look just like standard glasses. I am very hopeful we will succeed."
David Cameron claims Jesus founded his Big Society crusade
Prime Minister David Cameron faces a furious backlash after claiming Jesus was the original founder of the Big Society. His remark – made to Christians at a Downing Street reception – provoked astonishment among religious leaders, charities and politicians. Labour MP and former Anglican vicar Chris Bryant said: “It’s ludicrous and offensive for Cameron to try to recruit Jesus to the Tory cause. He is just using decent people in the church and charities to mask the unfair way he’s cutting services for the vulnerable.”
Mr Cameron told church leaders they would be “absolutely right” to claim Jesus founded the Big Society 2,000 years ago, joking: “I’m not saying we’ve invented some great new idea here.”
He added: “One of the best things about our country is that people step forward as individuals, as families, as communities, as organisations, as churches, and do extraordinary things ... helping to build a bigger, richer, more prosperous, more generous society. And all I’m saying is, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we did more of that?’”
But Jonathan Bartley, director of Christian think-tank Ekklesia, said Mr Cameron’s brutal cuts programme was attacking the poor and the weak – and would not have had Jesus’s support. “Jesus’s harshest words were reserved for those who had wealth and power and who failed to protect the most vulnerable,” he said. A senior Labour source added: “We know politicians like a big-name endorsement but this seems to be going a bit far.”
Mr Cameron told church leaders they would be “absolutely right” to claim Jesus founded the Big Society 2,000 years ago, joking: “I’m not saying we’ve invented some great new idea here.”
He added: “One of the best things about our country is that people step forward as individuals, as families, as communities, as organisations, as churches, and do extraordinary things ... helping to build a bigger, richer, more prosperous, more generous society. And all I’m saying is, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we did more of that?’”
But Jonathan Bartley, director of Christian think-tank Ekklesia, said Mr Cameron’s brutal cuts programme was attacking the poor and the weak – and would not have had Jesus’s support. “Jesus’s harshest words were reserved for those who had wealth and power and who failed to protect the most vulnerable,” he said. A senior Labour source added: “We know politicians like a big-name endorsement but this seems to be going a bit far.”
Trucker flashed at female police staff on motorway
A truck driver driver exposed himself on the M1 motorway to a woman driver who turned out to be a police worker. Peter Munson was travelling at 50 to 60mph when he repeatedly pulled alongside the woman and her colleague. He smiled and waved then followed them as they swapped lanes to pick up the A46.
The woman driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "As I looked over he was grinning and gestured toward his lap. I turned straight and looked ahead and I said to my colleague 'I can't believe what he's doing now'. She said 'Are you joking?'" The woman said she was shocked. "Obviously we are females on the motorway and somebody doing that sort of lewd behaviour is not what you expect when you are driving, so it puts us in a doubly dangerous situation."
The offence happened at the junction of the M1 and A46 in April last year. The women, both civilian employees of Notts Police, had been to Leicestershire. Munson, 42, had bought his yellow flatbed truck from Leicestershire the same day and was driving it home to New Ollerton. After he exposed himself the women showed their police identification cards and he immediately dropped back.
He was traced through his registration number but denied even waving when interviewed. He was found guilty of exposure after a trial at Loughborough Magistrates' Court. In a statement read to the court, the woman passenger said: "I was getting worried because he seemed to be concentrating on us rather than driving." Munson will be sentenced on June 10 after reports have been prepared.
The woman driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "As I looked over he was grinning and gestured toward his lap. I turned straight and looked ahead and I said to my colleague 'I can't believe what he's doing now'. She said 'Are you joking?'" The woman said she was shocked. "Obviously we are females on the motorway and somebody doing that sort of lewd behaviour is not what you expect when you are driving, so it puts us in a doubly dangerous situation."
The offence happened at the junction of the M1 and A46 in April last year. The women, both civilian employees of Notts Police, had been to Leicestershire. Munson, 42, had bought his yellow flatbed truck from Leicestershire the same day and was driving it home to New Ollerton. After he exposed himself the women showed their police identification cards and he immediately dropped back.
He was traced through his registration number but denied even waving when interviewed. He was found guilty of exposure after a trial at Loughborough Magistrates' Court. In a statement read to the court, the woman passenger said: "I was getting worried because he seemed to be concentrating on us rather than driving." Munson will be sentenced on June 10 after reports have been prepared.
Survey suggests 75% of pet rabbits in Britain are cruelly neglected and mistreated
Rabbits are one of Britain's favourite pets, beaten into third place only by dogs and cats. But new evidence suggests they are also one of the most cruelly neglected and misunderstood. There are up to two million rabbits being kept and bred in the backyards and gardens of the UK. However, according to a new survey, up to three quarters of them are being badly treated. Not only are they being kept in woefully cramped conditions, a situation for which the pet industry bears a heavy responsibilty; they are also becoming sick through being fed the wrong food.
A majority of the rabbit owners asked did not know what the correct diet for their pet was, and almost half didn't know that rabbits needed space in which to exercise. The owners' survey, commissioned by a group of animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA, found that 60% didn't know that their pets were intelligent and social creatures that needed mental stimulation.
"Officers have been worried for many years about the rabbit. They are intelligent and inquisitive animals who have been getting the bad end of the deal for a long time now, and we really have to try to do something to change people's attitudes and tackle the ignorance that sadly is so prevalent," said RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley, who added that the charity had rescued 33,000 pet rabbits from cruelty in the past three years. There have also been some 250 convictions of cruelty to rabbits over that period.
"If you ask any RSPCA officer which animal they feel most sorry for, it's usually the poor, forgotten rabbit sitting in a tiny hutch without the proper food, or any food at all, and some dirty water. It might once have been loved for a brief time by some child, but it has quickly been forgotten and it's a very sad sight that I have seen countless times." Three-quarters of the rabbits seen by British vets are in poor health, suffering from obesity and rotting or overgrown teeth.
A majority of the rabbit owners asked did not know what the correct diet for their pet was, and almost half didn't know that rabbits needed space in which to exercise. The owners' survey, commissioned by a group of animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA, found that 60% didn't know that their pets were intelligent and social creatures that needed mental stimulation.
"Officers have been worried for many years about the rabbit. They are intelligent and inquisitive animals who have been getting the bad end of the deal for a long time now, and we really have to try to do something to change people's attitudes and tackle the ignorance that sadly is so prevalent," said RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley, who added that the charity had rescued 33,000 pet rabbits from cruelty in the past three years. There have also been some 250 convictions of cruelty to rabbits over that period.
"If you ask any RSPCA officer which animal they feel most sorry for, it's usually the poor, forgotten rabbit sitting in a tiny hutch without the proper food, or any food at all, and some dirty water. It might once have been loved for a brief time by some child, but it has quickly been forgotten and it's a very sad sight that I have seen countless times." Three-quarters of the rabbits seen by British vets are in poor health, suffering from obesity and rotting or overgrown teeth.
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Oprah's Book Club: She spoke, we read
The talk-show maven's Book Club spawned literary stars and controversy.
 The Launch: Jacquelyn Mitchard's "The Deep End of the Ocean" was the first book Oprah Winfrey chose for her club in 1996. (Steve Green) |
By Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times
May 22, 2011
For some, a book club means Chardonnay, gossip and some bookish conversation. For Oprah Winfrey, it's meant making bestsellers and, as she said Monday, "the biggest controversy in our 25 years."
As her broadcast television show comes to a close, Winfrey welcomed the reason for that controversy — the not-truthful memoirist James Frey — onto two full shows of her final 10, putting her once-vital Book Club back at the center of the national discussion.
Oprah's Book Club launched quietly in 1996, and a nod soon became a sure shot to the bestseller list and a windfall for publishing as a whole.
"It's the ultimate book club; it's very broad and very deep," Jonathan Galassi, president and publisher of the prestigious publishing house Farrar, Straus & Giroux, said in a telephone interview. "It's been a wonderful enhancement to publishing fiction."
In the club's heyday, Winfrey selected about 10 books a year — she's remembered for choosing family-focused novels but was equally supportive of challenging literary fiction. She would announce the much-anticipated next book on the air, give viewers a few months to buy and read it, then have the author appear on her show in a book-club-discussion setting.
No one in publishing had expected Winfrey's impact on their industry's bottom line after the media maven energized an enthusiastic and dedicated group of readers.
L.A.-based author Janet Fitch was a virtual unknown when her book "White Oleander" was selected for Winfrey's club in 1999; the selection helped sell 720,000 copies before the author even appeared on the show.
"I'd spent basically 20 years just living a writer's life," Fitch said recently in Los Angeles. She'd never considered that her book, which features a difficult mother and a daughter left to the foster-care system, might find a wide readership. "Oprah said it would go over a million by the time it was all over, and it was true."
Hollywood also jumped to attention — film rights to Fitch's novel were sold on the sidewalk outside of Book Soup in West Hollywood, and Michelle Pfeiffer starred in the movie version. Other books that made it to screen after being selected by Winfrey include Andre Dubus III's "The House of Sand and Fog," Jane Hamilton's "A Map of the World" and Bernhard Schlink's "The Reader."
Read Kellogg's full story about the biggest of all book clubs at the LA Times.
Robert Graves online at Otago University
From Dr. Donald Kerr, F.L.S.
Special Collections Librarian
University of Otago:
University of Otago:
With help from our web office (Elliot O’Sullivan) and Merrin Brewster (Library web-master), and other library colleagues, the current exhibition at Special Collections called 'Forging a Magical Landscape: The Works of Robert Graves, Poet' is now LIVE. See link below.
A Tribute to Rodney Wilson
11 - 25 June 2011
11 - 25 June 2011
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Satellite’s Vernacular Lounge
The Vernacular Lounge and the Cultural Icons project are honoured to present a tribute to Rodney Wilson, a practical visionary who has contributed so significantly to New Zealand’s cultural landscape.
As past director of the Auckland Museum, the Auckland Art Gallery, founding director of the Maritime Museum and an outstanding arts administrator and activist it would be hard to have missed mention of Rodney’s involvement in the cultural sector over the last 40 years.
Already aware of this incredible career, The Depot became better acquainted with Rodney through his interviews for the Cultural Icons project and by accolades from other ‘icons’ relating his enormous contribution to the arts and cultural infrastructure of New Zealand.
This will be an opportunity to celebrate with Rodney a life lived full of vision, belief and courage and to share with him an assemblage of personal accolades, anecdotes and acknowledgements from his friends, contemporaries and colleagues.
“Rodney has been a most remarkable, sometimes controversial figure in our country’s museum history. He has been a visionary, passionate and highly effective leader.”
John Coley
In support of the tribute exhibition, a Cultural Icons interview with Rodney Wilson will be available at www.culturalicons.co.nz on Wednesday 25 May. Rodney is interviewed by Hamish Keith.
Satellite address:
Cnr St Benedicts St + Newton Rd
Newton
Auckland
Aotearoa / New Zealand
1010
The Depot’s Cultural Icons project:
www.culturalicons.co.nz
Author Emma Neale on the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival
Spook Service? Auckland Readers’ and Writers’ Festival 2011
Like many writers, I’ve had a behind-the-festival festival, of coffees with writer friends; taxi-rides with poets and publishers; lobby conversations with novelists; walks through central Auckland with genial, clever film critics; of wines that marry silk and cheekiness (not to mention citrus and cynicism) with writers, publishers, festival organisers and volunteers.
I’ve sat in green rooms backstage with other panelists, in that heightened, shimmering, surreal, anxious space of the minutes before a public performance. In these moments I’ve longed for a costume, grease-paint, wig, props: all the ceremonial trappings of a stage show that help an actor get into character. I’ve longed for a script, with lines. (Hence poetry readings can feel less stressful than discussions.) Waiting backstage at a writers’ festival is something more like waiting for a job interview: where you know you are going to have to perform a version of yourself, but the lines haven’t been written yet, because readers’ curiosity can come spinning round all sorts of unexpected corners.
Before the panel talk with Carol Beu, Charlotte Randall and Laurence Fearnley, I’d crammed in a bit of breathless ‘I’m going to fail the exam!’ revision of a lot of my non-fiction research so that I could answer questions about everything from the Forbidden Experiment, feral children, hypertrichosis, gigantism, acromegaly and selective or traumatic mutism. I should have written it all up on my trouser cuffs, and done what they tell you to do in exams: which is to twist what you have learned to suit the question.
Because when I was asked about where Bu’s character came from, instead of talking about the way he grew from a number of influences, rumours, sources, known phenomena, fantastic possibilities, I found myself calling on personal anecdotes. They told the truth: but they told it slant, and it was a different slant from the one I’d meant to take. Sometimes writers even hide from themselves. There is something in this, perhaps, of Bu’s own elusiveness – and the fact that the contact he makes with people is fleeting, restless; that he yearns for, yet can’t achieve genuine intimacy. He’s like a paper boat constantly pushed off course, slowed and entangled by the sticks and stones and water-weed it nudges into.
Staying in Sydney ? Watch those hotel WiFi charges !
In Sydney last week for the Writers Festival I stayed at the classy very comfortable, centrally located Westin Hotel in Martin Place. Everything about this place was fine EXCEPT that for four days use of the Internet in my room (blogging) they charged me A$98 ! On my previous visit I stayed at The Four Seasons Hotel where prices were similarly exorbitant.
Next time I'll be staying at the Shangri La Hotel where every room has free WiFi.
Author Michael Connolly on Nine to Noon, Radio New Zealand National
Starts at 10:05 am on Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Author Michael Connolly is a former police reporter for the Los Angeles Times.After three years on the crime beat in L.A. he began writing his first novel. He is the author of the acclaimed Harry Bosch thriller series and several other bestselling novels.
His latest book The Fifth Witness is the third in the Mickey Haller (Lincoln Laywer) series. One of Mickey's clients, who is facing foreclosure, is accused of killing her bank manager. Michael is a former President of the Mystery Writers of America organisation.He will be in conversation with Kathryn Ryan.
The Proper Response To Draw Mohammed Day
... from none other than our very own Precentor of Measurements. Classy, Foxie. Very, very classy.
Dunedin Poet Larry Matthews Dies
The Poetry Archive of New Zealand Aotearoa (PANZA) has just posted the following tribute to American-born SoCNoC Writing Challenge beginning soon
In the dreams of thousands unwritten stories wait to see the light of day, but not for long!
The Southern Cross Novel Challenge (SoCNoC, pronounced "sock-nock"), hosted by KiwiWriters.org, encourages aspiring and veteran novelists alike to write a 50,000 word novel (or add 50,000 words to an existing novel or story collection) in the 30 days of June. At midnight on June 1st writers will dive into a no holds barred month of creation, manic typing, frantic plotting and late nights of fantasy.
Kiwi Writers co-founder Kerryn Angell says that sometimes the hardest thing is to just sit down and write. "Online challenges were a huge help to my own writing, but there just weren't enough out there and some of them didn't fit in so well with the southern hemisphere calendar. In the 4 years since Kiwi Writers began, I'm amazed at what our members have achieved.”
Staff member Anna Caro adds that it's about more than just the 50,000 words. "There's a great sense of community on the site, with members discussing everything from initial ideas to publication. Plus we run challenges all year round, for short stories, novellas, poetry and some planning exercises."
The Kiwi Writers website is at http://www.kiwiwriters.org.
Contact: kiwiwriters@gmail.com
The Southern Cross Novel Challenge (SoCNoC, pronounced "sock-nock"), hosted by KiwiWriters.org, encourages aspiring and veteran novelists alike to write a 50,000 word novel (or add 50,000 words to an existing novel or story collection) in the 30 days of June. At midnight on June 1st writers will dive into a no holds barred month of creation, manic typing, frantic plotting and late nights of fantasy.
Kiwi Writers co-founder Kerryn Angell says that sometimes the hardest thing is to just sit down and write. "Online challenges were a huge help to my own writing, but there just weren't enough out there and some of them didn't fit in so well with the southern hemisphere calendar. In the 4 years since Kiwi Writers began, I'm amazed at what our members have achieved.”
Staff member Anna Caro adds that it's about more than just the 50,000 words. "There's a great sense of community on the site, with members discussing everything from initial ideas to publication. Plus we run challenges all year round, for short stories, novellas, poetry and some planning exercises."
The Kiwi Writers website is at http://www.kiwiwriters.org.
Contact: kiwiwriters@gmail.com
Red Sky Blues, Ed Tato
Edition of 50 copies,
hardback, hand dyed sectional cover, 36 pg, RRP $65.00
Kilmog Press
Ed Tato has studied with Wystan Curnow and Michele Leggott, read weekly at Auckland's Poetry Live, and won the 2007 Montana Poetry Slam. He's the author of True Stories from la Cosa Nostra (Unholy Day Press) and poems not pieces (Spartan Press – 2011). His poems can be found in print and web journals such as Trout and nthposition. A former warehouse worker, hotel bellman, furniture mover, escort driver, and city planner, Tato returned to the US to earn a Master in Fine Arts from Syracuse University and lives there still, looking for work.
Red Sky Blues is available at Parsons Bookshope in Auckland or at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Gift Shop here: http://artgallery.marketeer.co.nz/product.pasp?categoryid=1&productid=140
Authors In Out Midst
Frequent commenter Jeff Burton is also an author of young adult fiction. Awesomeness squared! Here's his latest book. I just bought my copy to read myself, being a fan of such things.
Spanish Gen-Y Protest, Demand More Leprechauns
... or whatever the Spanish equivalent of a leprechaun is. Dig this.
Unemployment is at 45% for these guys. They're demanding more jobs and more government spending. Umm, massive government spending is what they had been doing and it resulted in high unemployment like it always does. Logically, doing more of what you've been doing to get into the mess would seem to be a bad idea.
It's a sad sight to see. They're good people. They want to work. They want to be productive. Unfortunately, they've been brought up completely ignorant of where money comes from. Someone has done these folks a very great disservice.
Unemployment is at 45% for these guys. They're demanding more jobs and more government spending. Umm, massive government spending is what they had been doing and it resulted in high unemployment like it always does. Logically, doing more of what you've been doing to get into the mess would seem to be a bad idea.
It's a sad sight to see. They're good people. They want to work. They want to be productive. Unfortunately, they've been brought up completely ignorant of where money comes from. Someone has done these folks a very great disservice.
Spicy Sausage Casserole with Cheesy Bread
This spicy sausage
casserole is an incredibly simple dish, perfect for any night where you can't face spending a great deal of time cooking, or where time is short and you simply want to throw something together, stick it in the oven and be eating within the hour.Ingredients per Person
4 beef link sausages
1/2 red onion
2 small red chilli peppers
2 cloves of garlic
2 pints of fresh beef stock
Salt and black pepper
Torn basil leaves to garnish
Method
Put your oven on to preheat to 375F/190C. Pour the beef stock in to a pot and heat it gently until it reaches a simmer.
Removing the core from the garlic cloves is optional but be aware that where there is significant core in a garlic clove, it can introduce an unpleasant bitterness to the cooked dish. Slice each clove in half as shown above. Simply pick the core out of each half with the point of your knife and discard. Finely chop the flesh of the garlic and the red chillis. Note that this recipe is fairly hot so you may prefer to use only one red chilli. Slice the red onion.
Place the sausages in to a deep casserole dish
. Scatter the onion, garlic and chilli over the top. Season and carefully pour over the heated beef stock. Put the lid on to the dish and place it in to the oven for forty-five minutes.
This spicy sausage casserole can very effectively be served with boiled potatoes and other vegetables. Try serving it, however, in a deep bowl, garnished with torn basil leaves and accompanied by either plain crusty bread or cheesy bread, similar to that pictured above. Below are links to a couple of sites which afford suggestions for various bread recipes, most of which are very simple and quick to prepare and are delicious along with this casserole.
Cheesy Bread Recipes
Bruschetta Recipes
keperluan VS kehendak. *1st time cerita pasal personal money usage*
assalamualaikum! :)
hye hari ni nak membebel panjangggg pasal duit. heh, MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING. BUT, WE NEED MONEY TO LIVE. get it? so tak payah ckp i high demand, atau shopaholic, atau membazir ke ape. tidak same sekali. mungkin, tidak lagi. sobb. well i am a shopaholic, i love to buy make up, shoes, handbags, and spent a lot of amount on FOODS, but i just realllyyyyyy love them. make up i tak reti pakai sgt pun, eyeshadow tak usah ckplah kalu tak nak jd hantu, but i just really love the color, the flavor, the smell. *AHHHH*. but but but, i can managed well with my money. so far cam kalu x de duit sampai nank nangis pun, (pernah okayyyy nangis sbb takde duit), still alhamdulilah sesgt, blh managed. ngee.
dari dulu sampai i dah besar nih, org asyik ckp i untung mama abah kerja, i anak tunggal. eee rase nak lepok lepok ja. mmg la mostly mama abah mmg try yg terbaik utk i, tp ingt kalu i mintak BMW 6 series, dpt ke? tak lepas. wuwuwu. lgpun yerla, sooner or later i kene jgk belajar berdikari cari duit sdiri kan, life ain't easy, so mmg plg hebat i belajar berbelanja di asrama lah. and oh ye, di zaman kolej, duduk rumah sewa. itu baru lg hebattt. dugaan gila especially bila dah nk dkt Final!!! broadcasting kan, so kalau ada FYP mmg kene gune sgt bnyk duit. ape lah yg mampu zaman student? sobbb. apa pun 1st i nak say THANK YOU MAMA ABAH sbb dah bape ribu riban habis duit selama aqilah dibesarkan ;') hanya Allah yg dpt balas jasa mama dan abah.
and 2-3 hari ni. i online berjam-jam, utk tgk ape. cuba teka? Mr Google jd kawan baik i. i google kasut u taw tak. i love heels, i love pumps, i love platforms, i love wedges, i sukeee tgk org lain punya kasut, cuma i tak boleh nak pakai sgt. kaki i cpt melecet, i mean like sgt cepat, so i perlu extra careful kalau nak beli. and plg tinggi i blh pakai adelah 3inchi atau pun dlm 9cm. and sbb tu lah i bnyk wedges je, stabil n selesa sikit. and flats. tp lately i dah stop beli, thn ni tak de beli flats sbb mcm errr ckup dah kot. i mmg jeles tgk siapa2 yg blh pakai 6inci tuh. *gorgeous gila*
a friend of mine said, "most of the shopaholics are cute" :)
i rase dia org cute sbb i taw kalau shopaholic ni, dia dah target 1 brg ni, dia akan sgt excited,
obsessed bila nmpk brg tu and akan dptkan mcm mane jgk!
and so i dah kerja semula ni kan, i dah start runsing dah actually. sebab ini bulan may, bulan 5!
bulan June & July - 2 bulan utk simpan & kumpul utk AIDILFITRI!
bulan August - youuu. raya dah youuu. i rasa i tak beli handbag atau kasut raya kot. sobb sobb. memanglah tak mati tp sobb. *u just dont know how much i love shoes & handbag*. and ni akan jd 1st time i kene kasi duit raya dkt mama, abah, cousin2 i, anak2 sedara i! ohemgeee. cousin i belah abah + mama yg belum kerja = lebih lah 10 org. berapa belas tak. anak2 sedara i ade = 9 org. warghhhhhhhhhh. nenek i pun mestilah i nak kasi, 1st time taw. ;')
bulan Sept - 1 bulan utk saving lg... sbb bulan 10 akan gila semula...
bulan October - HOLIDAY DKT BANDUNG. u taw tak bandung tu ape? bandung adalah syurga dunia utk shopaholic macam i nih. tahu tak tahu? and i dah kerja, so i kene kumpul duit sdiri tahu tak? kawan i dah warning awal2, kalau tak de at least 1k mmg terkilan. soooo... i tak mahu lah terkilan sbb nanti kalau i terkempunan. nanti sampai balik Mlysia i teringat ingat T______T
and kawan - kawan. dalam minggu pertama bekerja semula ni. i ada tulis balik list benda yg memang dah plan akan beli. WILL BUY FOR SURE, by hook or crook.
1. BB/iphone. (half keperluan, half kehendak)
rasenye semua dah taw bertape i nak iphone4 tp malangnya abah nmpk depan mata sendiri iphone cousin i jatuh, and terus blank, abah nmpk bertapa fragilenye hp tu dan abah tahu anak dara dia ni ganas, so abah suruh beli BB. BB torch adalah 1st love i, tp BFF i kata tak tahan, mcm pegang BABY instead of BB, jd i rasanya lebih berat ke Bold 3. cost = at least RM1.5K
2. MACbook Pro. (keperluan)
walaupun i baru beginner editor tp sesungguhnya ketahuilah kwn-kwn, i blh ckp mostly, most of ppl in this industry, i mean broadcast industry, media industry mmg dr dulu guna Apple. guna software final cut pro. and kawan i dkt TV3 pun tgh target nak beli ni sbb dia amat perlu menggunakannya jugak. i dah google, harga MACbook pro ini plg murah = RM 4999. terima kasih T_____T
3. spectacles. (keperluan)
as u all know, i rabun jauh. haruslah, i muda lg, tak kan rabun dekat. and since these past few years i prefer pakai lens. senang walaupun leceh jgk bila mata kering. tapi.... disebabkan i menghadap PC je 24hours dkt office tuh, dlm air codn plak tuh, memang kering lah kan mate i dgn lens. tahu tak sepatutnya maximum pakai lens adalah 6-8 hours a day? i pakai more than 12 hours kot kalau keluar. huhu. so semlm i pun dah tempah lah cermin mata baru, pasni slalu la nmpk i pakai cermin mata je ye :P ade jenama coach, tp tak mampu lah kan. ingt nak beli levi's jgk, same dgn sunglasses i, tp takde yg lawa yg jenis frame hitam je, so i ambiklah bonia yg mmg tgh ade SALE! cost = RM350.
4. ipad2. (kehendak)
ini mmg kehendak lah kan. sbb i rasa mcm confirm akan pakai BB, so sebagai ganti terpaksa let go iphone4 tuh, i nak i pad. tak kira nak jugakkk sbb cam sgt syok, mudah dibawa n mcm-mcm lg lah. *pdhal antara sbb utama nak on9 senang* ini, nanti-nanti ye. cost = RM2k ++.
5. DSLR (kehendak)
ini pun 1 hal. camera idaman tah bile nak dpt. wawawa. i sgt amat nak kot sbb i suka ambik gmbr. so sbb tu lah selalu takde gmbr i sbb i tukang ambik gambor je keje. tp ini mmg, kalau dpt lg puas hati lah kan sbb minat. cost = RM 3k++
6. table/desk for laptop. a BIGGGG one. (keperluan/kehendak)
ini adalah sgt penting memandangkan i mmg selalu guna laptop, selalu ada bertimbun gadget atas katil sbb suka online sambil meniarap lepas tu sakit badan, padan muka. lepas ni nak buat editing lg, lglah haaaa. erghhh. bilik i ni besor la jgk, ramai org ckp besor tp i kan pengumpul tegar jd sebenarnye bilik ni dah padat gila and sejak kerja lg lah berserabut. wuwuwu. i nak meja besar, kukuh, berat and suka lah nanti. haha. cost = RM errr, hari tu pernah usha dkt ikea pun RM 500++. silap2 almost 1k.
1. BB/iphone. (half keperluan, half kehendak)
rasenye semua dah taw bertape i nak iphone4 tp malangnya abah nmpk depan mata sendiri iphone cousin i jatuh, and terus blank, abah nmpk bertapa fragilenye hp tu dan abah tahu anak dara dia ni ganas, so abah suruh beli BB. BB torch adalah 1st love i, tp BFF i kata tak tahan, mcm pegang BABY instead of BB, jd i rasanya lebih berat ke Bold 3. cost = at least RM1.5K
2. MACbook Pro. (keperluan)
walaupun i baru beginner editor tp sesungguhnya ketahuilah kwn-kwn, i blh ckp mostly, most of ppl in this industry, i mean broadcast industry, media industry mmg dr dulu guna Apple. guna software final cut pro. and kawan i dkt TV3 pun tgh target nak beli ni sbb dia amat perlu menggunakannya jugak. i dah google, harga MACbook pro ini plg murah = RM 4999. terima kasih T_____T
3. spectacles. (keperluan)
as u all know, i rabun jauh. haruslah, i muda lg, tak kan rabun dekat. and since these past few years i prefer pakai lens. senang walaupun leceh jgk bila mata kering. tapi.... disebabkan i menghadap PC je 24hours dkt office tuh, dlm air codn plak tuh, memang kering lah kan mate i dgn lens. tahu tak sepatutnya maximum pakai lens adalah 6-8 hours a day? i pakai more than 12 hours kot kalau keluar. huhu. so semlm i pun dah tempah lah cermin mata baru, pasni slalu la nmpk i pakai cermin mata je ye :P ade jenama coach, tp tak mampu lah kan. ingt nak beli levi's jgk, same dgn sunglasses i, tp takde yg lawa yg jenis frame hitam je, so i ambiklah bonia yg mmg tgh ade SALE! cost = RM350.
4. watch. (keperluan)
dear BFF, jam kita beli bersama sama hari itu telah terjatuh dan dah retak! bertapa hancurnya hati sy. wuwuwu. maafkan sy, sobbb ;'( makanya skrng sy hanya guna jam HP & kereta which is tak best jgk sebenarnye sbb hp selalu merata so nak melilau lak cari. i ada jam lain. 1 esprit tuh, bateri mati dah kot. 1 adidas tu pun sama. 1 lg adidas tu i syg gilaaaa tp tali die patah. sobb. jam tu mcm gelang. so for the time being i target yg simple, sporty, yet casual. and i dah jatuh cinta dkt 1 jam tu, PUMA. i dah pernah nampak n mmg teringat2. Guess mcm feminin sgt so i stick to this 1st. next time dah mampu skit baru i beli jam lain. cost = RM 300++.
4. ipad2. (kehendak)
ini mmg kehendak lah kan. sbb i rasa mcm confirm akan pakai BB, so sebagai ganti terpaksa let go iphone4 tuh, i nak i pad. tak kira nak jugakkk sbb cam sgt syok, mudah dibawa n mcm-mcm lg lah. *pdhal antara sbb utama nak on9 senang* ini, nanti-nanti ye. cost = RM2k ++.
5. DSLR (kehendak)
ini pun 1 hal. camera idaman tah bile nak dpt. wawawa. i sgt amat nak kot sbb i suka ambik gmbr. so sbb tu lah selalu takde gmbr i sbb i tukang ambik gambor je keje. tp ini mmg, kalau dpt lg puas hati lah kan sbb minat. cost = RM 3k++
6. table/desk for laptop. a BIGGGG one. (keperluan/kehendak)
ini adalah sgt penting memandangkan i mmg selalu guna laptop, selalu ada bertimbun gadget atas katil sbb suka online sambil meniarap lepas tu sakit badan, padan muka. lepas ni nak buat editing lg, lglah haaaa. erghhh. bilik i ni besor la jgk, ramai org ckp besor tp i kan pengumpul tegar jd sebenarnye bilik ni dah padat gila and sejak kerja lg lah berserabut. wuwuwu. i nak meja besar, kukuh, berat and suka lah nanti. haha. cost = RM errr, hari tu pernah usha dkt ikea pun RM 500++. silap2 almost 1k.
7. shoes cabinet (keperluan)
sebenarnye kasut i dah banyak sampai rak kat depan tak muat, sbb bnyk kasut org lain jgk sooo dlm bilik ni pun dah ada 10-11 pasang kasut. so ini memang dah lame i nak beli, yg TINGGI, BESAR, and TERTUTUP. i nak kurangkan habuk memandangkan sinus i kan teruk. ni pun mahal jugak kan! grrr. cost = RM 300-RM500.
mama abah ada berbincang, nak jual kembara. sbb blh kata selalu rosak. sbb beli dulu pun 2nd hand. itupun sbb dulu time duduk sarawak, bwk 1 kereta je. yg lain tinggal KL. so bila ada 1 kereta ssh lah kan mama abah nak berebut. so sbb tu beli je kembara. but then, mybe nak jual kot, wlpun tak abis bayar lg. so nak jual dkt Perodua jgk, and beli kereta lain dkt Perodua jgk which is Myvi / Viva. sbb senang utk kira payment sbb under same company. kalau i lah, mestilah i lg suka myvi dr segi bentuk dia tuhhh. tapi kalau just utk kegunaan semata-mata, Viva would be okay. i bawak je lah, tak delah nak demand. so, ni terpulang pada mama and abah.
mama ckp ni just utk i pergi kerja. kalau i nak jln ke ape, bwk lah kereta lain. merc abah ade. xtrail mama ade. persona kak sally. myvi kma. gen2 faris. kah3... semua nak masuk. tp like seriously, cam yerla x kesah pun mane mane. tp yg lg bestnye kan... mama cakap "nanti akak stabil sikit, akak bayarlah kereta tu ye" terus tutup telinga, dan membuat kira-kira di dalam otak. okay fine, lg murah kereta tu lg bagus. huhu.
heh. gaji i bape lah sgt as a beginner ni kan. Diploma plak tuh. i mesti nak try permudahkan mama abah. i anak tunggal. and tu tujuan i kerja. niat i. and sbb tu jgk i decide to cut off my maxis postpaid yg no 012-***8212 tuh. sbb i ambik value 50, and guna sikit je kot no tuh sbb HP tu bengong. tp still monthly kene bayar RM 50, utk ape tah, then RM16 utk value SMS ape tah, so total up dah RM100. pdhal i bnyk gune yg prepaid je. so dlm next week i terminate, dah jimat RM 100 tahu tak? phewww. so anything contact dkt 012-***8154 tu ye. if tak de no tu, inbox FB i.
see. banyak benda i nak kene fikir ni. and, kdng i tak dpt bygkan mcm mane org yg u know, gaji dia dlm 1k je every month, anak ramai, but managed to live. i do respect them, and at the same time mcm kesian jgk. sbb i tahu susah sebenarnye... hey guys, just imagine la rumah sewa KL ni nak dpt RM 800 pun ssh tau tak? susah gila. so mcm, erm, pandai-pandailah managed duit ye. jgn percaya Along! :P
marilah kita berfikir sebelum berbelanja! huhu. till then. take care! :)
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