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Thursday, 24 March 2011

Pay me and I'll publish your book - yeah, right!

Alexandra from Manchester told me she was delighted to have her crime novel accepted for publication, but was later asked for a considerable contribution towards the costs. She asked: Is this normal in today’s tight economic climate? I have been assured that this isn’t a vanity publishing venture.

Sadly, all too often authors get caught out by vanity publishers who are posing as traditional publishing houses. Sometimes unwary authors are encouraged by a vanity publisher's praise of the work submitted – we all want to hear that ours is the manuscript that has somehow made it beyond the slush pile and into publishing heaven. This is what vanity publishers rely on.

Such publishers refer to their business model by a variety of names, including partnership, joint venture and subsidy publishers. But the bottom line is this, if you are charged anything towards the costs of publishing your book - you are using a vanity publisher, even if they assure you that their business model isn't vanity publishing.

If you decide to self-publish, there are many reputable companies who charge reasonable rates, but they are upfront about the fact that they are not traditional publishers. If a company hides the fees until after the manuscript has been accepted – say thank you, but no thanks.

The Writer’s ABC Checklist

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Flash 500 - nine day countdown

The closing date of this quarter’s Flash 500 Competition is fast approaching -- only nine days left to get your entries in.

While you’re there, have a look at the new Resources Page. You’ll find lots of useful links to help with various aspects of your writing life.

I’ve been approached by quite a few writers recently asking for private critiques. I haven’t advertised this service as most requests have come via ‘word of mouth’ recommendation. However, I thought it would be useful to create a webpage explaining the services I offer and the related charges. Critique Service

The Writer’s ABC Checklist

Monday, 21 March 2011

Foreign Flavours Anthology

Call for Submissions - Short Stories and Non-Fiction Articles

Organised by expat writers group - Writers Abroad
Writers Abroad will be publishing their second Anthology entitled ‘Foreign Flavours’.
We are seeking submissions of short stories and non-fiction pieces on the general theme of food, drink and cooking from around the world. The anthology will be published as an e-book and as hard copy via Lulu Publishing.

This year Writers Abroad will be donating any profits made to The Book Bus ( charity. Rhodesian-born novelist Alexander McCall Smith, creator of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, ( will be writing the foreword for the Anthology.

To see our first Anthology (2010) please visit Writers Abroad

Title: Foreign Flavours
Genre: Short Stories and Non-Fiction
Theme: Food, drink and cooking - around the world.
Contributions: Expat writers, or those writers who have been an expat at some time or another
Word Count: Fiction – up to 1700 words (flash fiction is welcome) Non-Fiction – up to 1000 words

Submission and Entry Rules:
● All submissions must be previously unpublished
● Submissions should be received by midnight Friday 9th September 2011
● Submissions must be in English
● References to pornography or racism will not be accepted
● Manuscripts must be submitted via the link at
● The approximate word count should be inserted at the end of the submission
● Author name and title of the story or non-fiction piece should be placed in the left header of the document and page numbers in the right footer
● Manuscripts should be presented with double spacing and Times New Roman Font size 12.
● Queries only can be made via the contact button on the Submissions page
● Entries are free, only one entry per author, plus a short bio of 30 words
● Successful authors will be informed within two weeks of the closing date
● It will not be possible to provide feedback on submissions but successful stories will be edited and authors may be required to undertake minor changes for publication purposes
● Copyright will remain with the author and the stories will be published in an anthology in a number of formats.
● All proceeds from publication will be donated to the chosen charity.

Friday, 18 March 2011

What is Flash Fiction?

As most of you know, I run the Flash 500 Competition and offer an optional critique service. I received this query from an entrant who had received a critique and asked some follow up questions. Below are the questions and answers. I hope the exchange is of interest.

I'm not entirely sure of the definition of 'Flash Fiction' - hadn't heard of it until I started writing, a couple of months ago. Is it Flash because short (gone in a flash), or is the hidden twist an essential part of the genre (flash of insight)?

Flash fiction is a complete story of extreme brevity. You may have seen terms such as micro-fiction, micro-story, postcard fiction and short short story – these are all names for flash fiction. It has to contain the classic story elements: protagonist, conflict, obstacles or complications and resolution. However, the word length can mean that some of these elements are only hinted at or implied in the storyline.

Have you read the judges’ reports and winning stories on the site? All the stories are unique in some way, either in structure or resolution, but they all comply with the need to tell a complete story.

If a super smart judge guesses the outcome before the end, does that mean the story is 'no good'?

If a super smart judge guesses the ending, that will not work against you. However, if the ending is obvious from the outset, that will count against the story.

If it is well written, is it not enough sometimes to 'enjoy the journey'?

Yes, if the story is well written, then the journey can be enough. There is no compunction to have a twist ending, but if the author includes a twist, then it has to work. The only way a twist can work is if it takes the reader by surprise. You have to send them off on a false trail, only to confound them at the end by revealing the truth. This means that on second reading (by now knowing the ending) the reader can see the carefully planted clues. You can’t come out of left field with something that hasn’t been cunningly hidden within the text. The reader has to feel satisfied that the clues were there if only they had known what to look for, not that they were cheated.

Here is some advice on writing fiction (not just flash fiction) Top Tips for Top Stories, published by E-zee Writer, the online magazine for the Writers Bureau.

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Payment Matters

Sean from Liverpool has an identity problem. He asks: I want to enter a competition using a pen name, but how will I get paid if I win or get placed? Do I have to open a bank account in my pen name?

It isn’t necessary to open another bank account. When you enter a competition or submit stories to a magazine, using a pen name, you can request payment under your own name. If you are entering by email or post then state in the covering letter that you are using the pen name of A.N. Other, but that your real name is B.A. Writer. If entering through one of the online systems that don’t deal with pen names (some have a place to enter an alternative name) then when you are notified about your win simply explain that you have entered under a pen name, but would like payment made out to your real name.

I have many entrants to the Flash 500 Competition who submit their stories under a pen name, but also give their real names to use for payment should they win or be placed.

Friday, 11 March 2011

Residential Writing Course

I will be tutoring a residential writing course in France from 24th September to 1st October 2011.

About the Writing for Magazines holiday
Whether you’re looking for a source of additional income, hoping for a new career as a freelance writer, or simply want to establish writing credits to mention to agents and/or publishers, this is the course to teach you how to get articles and photo-features published in magazines.

Day 1:
Developing ideas for articles
Magazine analysis

Day 2:
Learning the difference between a photo-feature and a feature with illustrations
Magazine guidelines for photography
Camera use and permissions
How to take good photographs
Use of graphics

Day 3:
The right way to approach an editor
Query letters/emails that work
Writing an outline that grabs the editor’s attention

Day 4:
Structuring the article
The opening hook
Keeping the reader interested
Entertaining and appropriate closes
Use of humour

Day 5:
Professional manuscript presentation
Feedback on articles written by course participants

This residential writing course will be held in a beautiful part of France. For more details visit the website: Perpigne - Writing Course


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Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Summer Solstice, Evesham

Okay, so the summer solstice was over three weeks ago. I can still blog about it, can't I?

After our less than peaceful, relaxing stay in Cheltenham we headed out to Evesham on the Sunday. And what a lovely little town Evesham turned out to be. On arrival we were greeted by dozens of Morris Dancers, strutting their stuff and bashing sticks in the market square and on the main street. Nige and I spent a good half an hour at least soaking up one of ye olde pagan traditions and snapping away like paparazzi.

We then enjoyed a lovely walk along the river, which took us in a loop back towards the town. We stopped to take a picture of a dray horse outside a quaint looking pub, which just happened to have a beer festival on. More Morris men, all with blacked out faces, littered the car park, but this time relaxing with a pint and not banging sticks. We sat outside the pub with a pint of Old Hooky and a doorstop sandwich while one of the Morris men regaled us with stories. I learned more about Morris dancers than I ever needed to know.

Here are just some of the things I learned:

A group of Morris dancers is called a 'side'
A lot of Morris sides, particularly on the Welsh borders, black their faces as was traditional centuries ago. The reason for this could have been a) as a disguise, as Morris dancing was a form of begging and begging was against the law or b) to ward off evil spirits or c) because Morris dancing comes from 'Moorish' dancing (North Africa) so they blacked their faces to look authentic.
The 'hankie waving' Morris dancers are somewhat sneered at by the 'stick hitters' and are called 'Snotters'.
There are thousands of Morris sides throughout the country.
Morris dancing isn't in danger of dying out, as the media would suggest (we saw some teenage hoodies, sons of some of the Morris dancers, learning one of the dances in the pub car park).

What a wonderful way to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Next time we'll spend the whole weekend in Evesham.....even the beer's better!

Monday, 13 July 2009

Catching Up

I can't believe it's been nearly a fortnight since I last blogged, but life has been so hectic here. I'm definitely more of a social animal in summer, which is why I have to do more housework so that the house is fit to receive visitors. I've recently renewed a great friendship with Abigail, who I used to work with seventeen years ago at Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth. We still get on like a house on fire, could talk for England and laugh a lot. It's great to be back in touch.

I've also been doing a lot of walking. There are some fantastic country walks around the Rugby area and I've even ventured out on my own a couple of times. I do get rather nervous in the more remote areas, however, which puts me off walking alone more often.

I've become rather addicted to Facebook, I'm afraid. I think the problem with working from home is that you rarely see anyone all day, so Facebook is a great way of feeling in touch with one's fellow human beings. It's also a great place to show off photos and now I have a new printer/scanner, the sky's the limit.

I'm pleased to report that after my recent PC problems (when all my data went missing) I invested in an IMac with 20" screen. It's beautiful.. a real work of art, as Christine Todd pointed out. Now I have to learn all about Macs. The problem is now that I have work, photos and other files all over the place. On Nige's laptop hard drive, on memory sticks and on the Mac. This explains why I still haven't finished blogging about our weekend away in June. I've yet to write about the Summer Solstice in Evesham and the Morris dancers. Can I find the relevant photos? No, which is why I'm jabbering away about nothing in particular today. Bear with me.

Unfortunately, I've lost all my Outlook folders and subsequently an awful lot of emails, including those giving feedback on The Yellow Room Issue 2. Therefore, I haven't any letters to publish in Issue 3. Hopefully, some of you will be kind enough to resend your email letter or to put one in the post.

I'm hoping to start setting some writing exercises on the old QWF Forum which is still going strong. If you'd like to join, simply go to Yahoo Groups and you'll find us at:

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Friday, 29 November 2013

Twisted Sheets on Kindle!

I'm thrilled to announce that I've bitten the bullet and published my short story collection, Twisted Sheets on Kindle. I decided to have a go at publishing it yesterday evening and couldn't believe how easy it was to upload and create a cover via Amazon Kindle Publishing Direct.

I had the collection all ready to go, as I'd entered it in The Scott Prize last year, then submitted it to Cinnamon Press. The latter gave me great feedback and I came close to being taken on by them. This gave me confidence in the collection as a whole. Most of the short stories in the collection have either previously been published or have done well in short story competitions. Several of them are prizewinning stories.

Today has been great fun, as I organised a last minute launch party on Facebook. There was lots of virtual champagne, canapés and laughter! Thanks to those of you who came along to wish me well!

The e-book went on sale at around 8pm yesterday and already it's Number 34 in the Kindle Bestselling Short Stories Chart alongside the likes of Terry Pratchett and Victoria Hislop. It's also Number 68 in the Kindle Bestselling Literary Fiction Chart just above Maeve Binchy! I can't believe how many people have purchased it already. I'm now hoping I get some positive reviews.


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Thursday, November 14, 2013

The Gold Collection - Part 3: Accessories complete your outfit
In every line of clothing there are always a bunch of accessories that match the clothes and round out your look. One nice thing about the accessories though is that they don't just match the clothes from the current line. Most of the time, most of the accessories will match what you -already- have in your closet too. In that respect, you get a nice little bang for your buck. Accessories have ranged from bandanas and bags to phone covers and temporary tattoos with just about everything in between. One accessory you can always count on Zumba to release with every clothing line though, is bracelets and this time is no exception.

* Bracelets --- bracelets are 100% silicon, and they are latex-free. After wearing a few different styles of bracelets to Zumba (bangles, beads, etc.) I figured out why this style of bracelet is so commonly found in Zumba's store. Beaded bracelets are heavy and they slide around when you get your merengue arms going. Bangles are are light, but they too slide around and while I admit that they look kind of cool that way, bangles are not especially durable. Twice I've worn them to class and come home with more than one oval because they bent. That's right, bent! Silicon bracelets are soft and flexible and easily pop right back into shape. They are lightweight and they don't slide much because of the texture of the material. Basically, the perfect bracelet for Zumba. The ones you see here are -all- from the newly released Gold Collection.

This is the Oh My Gash cuff bracelet. It too is made from 100% silicon. It is black with gold accents so you can see that it is designed to go with the Gold Collection. However, the cutouts are similar to the "cut up" look that was the theme of a previous clothing line which means this bracelet would coordinate very nicely with pieces from that collection as well. A cuff is not my cup of tea, as they say. Because I am short, large jewelry always looks out of place on me, it's a proportions thing. But on someone tall, or even long-limbed, this would look pretty rockin'. we have the R-R-Remix Bandana Wrist Wrap. It's 100% rayon and it has little charms on it! Four gold rings, one gold bell, and one gold signature logo. The charms are very hard to see in the picture, in fact the only one that shows is the logo charm. If you want to get a better look, click the link on the picture to go to the Zumbawear shop. They have a zoom-in function on their product shots. I have to tell you, I am tempted to get this just for the charms; in spite of how wide it is. Like the cuff, it wouldn't look quite right on me as a wrist wrap. I am really curious to see though if it unrolls into an actual bandana. No word on that yet, but I'm going to keep checking to see if anyone posts a product review.

*Head bands/wraps --- from Zumba are by no means a new thing, but this one, called the Pomp-It-Up Headband is considerably more versatile as you can see. A headband, a wrist wrap, an armband, and...I'm not sure what you'd call the ankle one, I think it's too big to be an anklet... I know I'd call it a tripping hazard personally, but then I've never claimed to be the most coordinated person in class. gold things at the ends are little bells. They look cool, and I know people like them, there's no denying that they add pizzazz to an outfit, but I personally find that any noise I can hear competing with the music throws me off a little. On Halloween, I wore my new ZIN tags and they were sooo noisy. I wound up tucking them inside my sports bra just to keep them quiet. I'm pretty sure they were distracting others too, I noticed one or two questioning looks in my direction...

* Scarves ---
Scarf in "Back To The Fuchsia"
Scarf in "Blue But Bright"
Zumba has not done a scarf in quite some time, and the last one I remember was more of an outwear kind of scarf; as opposed to a fashion scarf like these. These are the To Infinity Scarf And Beyond. Infinity scarves are very trendy right now so it's hardly surprising that Zumba chose to include some in their latest clothing line. I really like these a lot, and here's that blue color I've been eying. If I bought this, I likely wouldn't wear it to class, I think it would make me too warm, but I'm pretty sure I could find something in my closet it could go with for every-day use. I just might have to put this on my "maybe list" with the purple wrap jacket and the black instructor tank...

* Socks --- being part of the fitness industry has certainly sold plenty of socks before. They've even sold some this tall in the past. These remind me of socks I've seen runners wear for marathons with their theme outfits (although I don't think these are compression socks). These are pretty cute, but too tall for me personally for athletic use. Again, I think I'd overheat.

 * Gloves ---
Gloves in "Love Me Lime"
Gloves in "Cut N Paste Purple"
Gloves... I really wondered about these. They are purely a fashion item. They aren't weighted at all and while the description says they're lined, I'm not sure how durable they would be as far as wearing to use on the gym machines. I had a pair of fingerless gloves once upon a time, that I used when I was a member of one of those 30-minute express type gyms. They helped me grip the handles on the machines, but they they also took a beating in the process from the friction. So, while these do make a fashion statement, I'm not sold. These are definitely not for me.

* Bags --- almost always has some kind of bag as part of every collection. In this case, they're offering this utility tote as part of a gift set. Alright people, let me tell you when I saw this in the shop I began to question my purchase of that black/pink utility know, that one I packed for East Lansing? I shouldn't have, that was a knee-jerk reaction to seeing a brand new bag and I just love love love bags! And hey, when they say "Zumba" on the side written in gold, I love them all the more. I was all, "Ah man, I just bought the other bag... Why did I do that?" The answer is that I -needed- a utility tote and the truth is, I like the black/pink bag better as far as both style and colors are concerned and if both were side by side and I could only get one, I'd still buy the black/pink one. Buuuutttt... That one didn't come with bracelets, a towel, and key ring! *sigh* It's okay, deep breaths... When I really stopped and considered the entire set, I realized that all I really want is the key ring. That on its own is not worth $40.00 (pre ZIN discount). So I'm going to drool over the picture, but I'm going to save my money and have faith in the fact that there will be other key rings down the road. A word on the bracelets: if you look closely at these and compare them with those in the other pictures, you'll discover that this grouping is not made up from those other bracelets but is actually unique and specific to the Sweat My Zwag Gift Set.

*Shoes ???
One major question on everyone's mind when it comes to accessories is, "Where are the shoes?" There haven't been any new shoes in a while, and the general consensus from the Zumba Nation is that we're due (ahem, overdue...) and yet, so far nothing. That's especially disconcerting in light of this photo that's been making the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest.
Here's Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba posing with the Foil Me Once Long Leggings and...a black and gold high-top sneaker! So many people want this shoe, and I can understand why, it's very striking. So with a teaser like this, it's understandable that people are asking where the shoes are. All I can think is that maybe we'll see them in time for the holiday season coming up. Just like with the key chain, I have faith that the shoes are coming. Who knows what next month will bring right? It's Zumba and they're full of surprises!

Best advice: Give new things careful consideration. Think about whether it's really worth it to you to have that brand new    X   . Like me with my bag. I love that black/pink bag, and when I stopped and took the time to thoughtfully consider it, I realized that I didn't really want the new one and that I was happy with the one I already had. As I browse the Zumbawear shop, I add things to a "maybe list" which is -not- a  "purchase list". All it means is that I'm willing to consider thinking about possibly getting that item. Did that make sense..? Adding it to a mental "maybe list" does -not- mean it's a done deal.

 *I am not affiliated with nor compensated by Zumba Fitness, just an interested shopper and Zumba-lover!

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Friday, 26 February 2016

Prototyping - Nintendo Virtual Boy 2

This is an archived repost of an article i wrote for The Nintendo Enthusiast in June 2014, but the vast majority of the theory is still surprisingly relevant to VR design:

Ever since the Oculus Rift and the 3DS came along, I’ve been wondering what Nintendo would do if they tried their hand at the Virtual Reality game (again). They pioneered motion control, made wireless video streaming lagless, and pushed Augmented Reality further than anyone else. However, their drive for inclusive gameplay is at odds with the very insular world of modern VR systems. But what if there was a way to make VR more social? Could the Virtual Boy rise again, and redefine VR in an iconically Nintendo way?

Thursday, 25 February 2016

Pebble Time Bond

One of the most famous Bond watches is the Rolex Submariner from Goldfinger. It's renowned for a couple of reasons: 1) Rolex is the brand Broccoli had Bond wear in the novels. 2) It's on a ridiculously narrow perlon strap.

A derivative of this strap, in NATO form, is now one of the most ubiquitous straps to grace watches around the world. I thought it would be fitting to have a crack at this with my Pebble Time Round. A smart gadget watch? Q would be so proud!

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

OaKallax: Swedish particle board meets sexy hardwood

My study was a shambles, boxes everywhere, and a pile of disused red Expedit inserts working as free-standing storage after the shelves were filled with books instead.

I needed a shelf unit to display my precious things, i needed to do something with these damned inserts, and i needed to exercise my design muscles.

Pebble Time Round, with a touch of Seiko

Early press shots of the Pebble Time Round (hereafter referred to as PTR) received a drubbing from the internet-folk for its large bezels, despite having a more favourable face/bezel ratio than the majority of dumbwatches. Society, having shunned watches in favour of checking the time on a bezel-less slab of glass they pull out of their pocket, doesn't actually seem to want a watch-like smartwatch.


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The Third Perspective

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Political Parties

What are the party platforms? What do they believe? What is a Libertarian? Are you tired of political bickering and personal attacks? Do you want to hear simple and friendly discussions? That is what The Third Perspective provides. A round table discussion at a square table. Exercising the First before the Worst.

Posted by Shadow (Admin) on February 18, 2013 at 11:27 PM 215 Views

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five reasons iron girl
#werunthisbridge, 5K, ambassador, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, discount code, discount code for Iron Girl, half-marathon, Iron Girl, run, running

Five Reasons To Run Iron Girl Clearwater {and a discount!}

Clearwater girl that I am, I am very excited about Iron Girl Clearwater. I’ve run this event several years now, both the half marathon and the 5k. I love that it’s so close to home for me and easy to get to race morning. This year I am running the 5k. Just for fun, I have 5 reasons you should run Iron Girl Clearwater!

Screen Shot 2017-02-19 at 9.19.25 AM

The View…. If you love running by the water, the view is gorgeous. You can see Sand Key and Belleair in the distance. The water is pretty. And when the sun comes up over downtown Clearwater, it is just beautiful.

10984247_10205417881398045_8949071050615157829_n (1)
The Course… Starting at Coachman Park, you run the library, City Hall, and the courthouse and then you approach the bridge. If you run the 5k, you run about half of the causeway before you turn around and head back. If you run the half marathon, you will also get to run the Sand Key Bridge. The bridges are my favorite part!

The Medals… Iron Girl does a great job with the medals and I love that the last few years it has had the bridge on it. The bridges are part of the challenge and it’s nice to have that on the medal as a reminder than you tackled them like a beast!

iron girl 2017 medals

The Expo… Saturday and Sunday morning, you can visit the Expo for your packet and to check out all the vendors an fun products. From clothing to jewelry, fitness gear, and more, it’s always fun to walk around. And after the race! They have some pretty amazing food.

Photo courtesy of Iron Girl Clearwater Facebook page

The Girl Power… I love events that empower women and this one is top of the list. Iron Girl “aspires to bring women of all ages together as a community by offering a supportive, energetic and empowering environment for females pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle.” Need I say more? I am all about this!

Register for Iron Girl Clearwater today and save 10% with my discount code THISCRAZYLIFE. If you register by March 8, you will receive a personalized bib!

Are you running Iron Girl Clearwater? Let me know!

  1. I wish I could run this one with you. You’ve got a date for next year!

  2. Such good reasons
    Jo-Anne the crazy woman recently posted…About my mumMy Profile

  3. […] more from Five Reasons To Run Iron Girl Clearwater {and a discount!} at This Crazy Life of […]

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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Electric Press Kit - Torsions (2011)

Electric Press Kit
Blu-Crush Records
Buy this record

I can’t believe it!  How did they put all of this awesome energy, and adrenaline, in just a little silver disc? I received this music for review and said: “Let’s check this one” …and my jaw hit the floor, what a surprise! The rhythm section sounds quite BIG: The drum Machine is gigantic; it sounds so powerful, the bass lines are loud and clear filling every possible void, while providing some great dose of melody to the rhythm section. The guitars have high-voltage sound, and the voice is giving here its 100% with intensity. They have done a wonderful combination of Post Punk, and Alternative sound. it’s a fascinating and invigorating hybrid style, and it has the ADN of The Music from The New Millennium. Definitely you have to play this one at the highest volume. Electric Press kit is a new band from France, and they have very exciting music. “This Night” has this rhythm which is like a big mechanic heart-beat, this will shake you up. The guitar work is very remarkable, and the bass lines are dominant. Everything here is well constructed, and the melody is captivating. ”Born In Roswell” really rocks very loud with faster rhythm, and electricity.”Always Aliens” has some dark feel, and it has lots of style and attitude. “Venom” is a delicious rocking tune, a good balance between Post Punk and Alternative sound; really like it.“Tout Ce Quit Destruit” (All That Destroys) is such a fine Post Punk tune a la Electric Press kit, very melodic and entrancing. “Cold In April” has a warm sound, and is more Rock oriented.”Power of Hate” is the most powerful track of this record; adding some dose of Punk fury, and light-speed rhythm to their sound. This one is like Heavy artillery.”Sayonara Baby” has a perfect balance between energetic sound, and melody.”Die” has similar characteristics to the previous one, and some Punk tones in the back ground; is pretty interesting.”Torsions” closes this album, and is very melodic.

As I said before, this is quite a good surprise. If you like of bands like Ulterior and Partly Faithful you have to check this one. At the end of the day their unique sound is hard to describe, but so easy to enjoy. This record is both powerful and refreshing.

Daniel Olvera


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Lifeway Stores Remove "The Blind Side" from Shelves Over Profanity--Is the Bible Next?

According to a report in Louisiville's Courier-Journal, Baptist-owned Lifeway Stores have pulled the 2009 movie The Blind Side from its shelves over profanity.

In spite of the film's positive treatments of issues like racial reconciliation, care of the homeless, and true hospitality, a bit of swearing will keep this movie out of Lifeway Stores. Perhaps the PTB at Lifeway didn't catch the MPAA's PG-13 rating of the movie for "one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references" to begin with. Maybe if that were the only issue and no swearing was involved in the above-described scene, the movie could stay on the shelves.

Regardless, this got me thinking... What if Lifeway were to really get consistent with this "no swearing" policy for everything they carried. Would they really go all the way and remove the Bible, too?

Wait...what? You didn't know there was swearing in the Bible? Well, if you didn't, it's because most translations tend to smooth over objectionable language.

I should stop to point out right now that the posts on this blog have always ranged from being rated G to PG, and that's not going to change now, but I will respectfully offer three examples of profanity (or at least very strong language) in the Bible for sake of argument.

Philippians 3:8

Let's start with Paul in the New Testament, who after offering a pretty impressive resume of his earthly accomplishments, calls them for what they are in light of what he's gained from knowing Christ:

"More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth [σκύβαλον/skubalon], so that I may gain Christ" (HCSB, emphasis added).

Paul uses a very interesting choice of words here. The Greek word σκύβαλον/skubalon could refer to garbage or excrement according to its use. However, there's very little doubt as to how Paul was using this word here. And it's interesting to see commentators attempt to explain this without using strong language themselves. Consider J. I. Packer's explanation (NIDNTT, 1:480):

The only NT usage is Paul’s in Phil. 3:8, where he says of all the natural and religious privileges which once seemed sweet and precious, and all the things he has lost since becoming a Christian, “I count (estimate, evaluate) them as (nothing but) dung.” The coarse and violent word shows how completely Paul had ceased to value them.

Spicq may have made the sense a bit more plain when he wrote, "To convey the crudity of the Greek, however: 'It’s all crap'" (TLNT, 3:265). Truthfully, though, when you think of our modern word that's a bit stronger, that's the kind of intensity that Paul probably meant.

Ezekiel: just about any time he refers to idols

Ezekiel is not alone in this in the Old Testament, but he has a preferred word when referring to idols: גִּלּוּל/gillul.

Daniel Block explains it best in his commentary on Ezekiel (NICOT, Ezekiel, vol. 1, p. 226):

idols. The word gillûlı̂m...represents Ezekiel’s favorite expression for “images.” Although he did not coin the term, the fact that 39 of its 48 occurrences in the OT are in this book indicates its usefulness for his purposes. The word appears to be an artificial construct derived from the verb gālal, “to roll,” but vocalized after the pattern of šiqqûṣı̂m. The adoption of this word as a designation for idols may have been prompted by the natural pelletlike shape and size of sheep feces or, less likely, the cylindrical shape of human excrement. The name has nothing to do with the shape of idols, but it expresses Ezekiel’s/Yahweh’s disposition toward them. Modern sensitivities prevent translators from rendering this expression as Ezekiel intended it to be heard, but had he been preaching today, he would probably have identified these idols with a four-letter word for excrement.* A more caustic comment on idolatry can scarcely be imagined. Yahweh’s treatment of these images will involve not only their “smashing” (šābar) and “obliteration” (šābat), but their exposure as powerless figments of the human imagination. The destruction of the images testifies to the deities’ impotence to defend themselves, and the slaughter of the devotees to the gods’ inability to defend their worshipers.

In the original of the above, there are actually a number of footnotes that I'm not reproducing here. However, I will reproduce (with apologies for those who might be offended) footnote 45, which I have replaced with an asterisk above. It reads: "Bodi (RB 100 [1993] 481, 510) captures the intended sense with 'shitgods.'" You can read Block's explanation of Ezek 16:36 in the second volume of his commentary for an even more harsh use of this imagery.

Hmmm... based on this example and the one from Paul, I'm noticing a biblical theme not covered in most topical treatments of the Bible...

1 Samuel 20:30

“Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you are siding with Jesse’s son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?” (HCSB)

Now, you probably think that I'm referring to the phrase, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!" (בֶּן־נַעֲוַת הַמַּרְדּוּת/ben-na‘awat hammardut) which would certainly have an equivalent modern expression not fit for mixed company, but I'm not actually referring to that phrase. While not specifically swearing perhaps, Saul is using language that is quite strong and forceful in the second half of his sentence. The more literal New American Standard communicates it differently (but not necessarily more clearly): "Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness [עֶרְוַת אִמֶּךָ/‘erwat ’immekha]?" (emphasis added).

David Tsumura explains (NICOT, p. 520):

The term nakedness (ʿerwat), which may refer euphemistically to genitals, is used in a curse: to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness. Here the emphasis is on the disgrace or shame which Saul thinks Jonathan has brought upon himself and his family rather than “his mother’s genitals, whence he came forth.” Note that the nakedness itself is disgraceful to anyone.

As an aside, it is well known that, in regard to the first phrase, when the Living Bible was first completed in the early 70s, Kenneth Taylor, did in fact use the modern expression "son of a bitch." It even appears that way in The Children's Living Bible that my grandmother gave me in 1973. In all later editions of the Living Bible, the phrase was altered to "You fool!" which is probably too weak. The current New Living Translation reads "You stupid son of a whore!" which like the original Hebrew, is pretty tough language if you're the recipient of it.

Honorable Mentions

  • Although not offensive in 1611, reading 1 Sam 25:22, 34; 1 Kgs 14:10; 16:11; 21:21; 2 Kgs 9:8; 18:27; Isa 36:12 in the King James Version would not be seen as appropriate in many churches today.
  • And while not containing actual profanity, in my mind "Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite” (Ezek 16:45, HCSB) is an example of real fighting words :-)

My apologies to my mother, for all the language, if you are reading this post.

As always, your questions, thoughts, comments and rebuttals are welcome in the comments below.


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Friday, November 21, 2014

My Garden: Summer into Fall

Snow began to fall last Sunday bringing the 2014 gardening season
 come to an abrupt conclusion for me.

What a spring, summer and fall it has been in my garden! What is that oh-so-familar quote? Change is the only constant.

Three big trees came down in June and suddenly there was sun where previously there was shade.

The view along the picket fence last summer.

In August the city redid the sidewalk at the front of the house making it wider. I figure that I lost six to twelve inches of garden along the white picket fence. The workers who relaid the concrete sidewalk slabs were respectful of my garden, but the plants still suffered horribly. My late summer display of blooms was not at all up to its usual splendour.

Sadly, I don't think it will ever look this good again!

My picture taking in late summer and fall was spotty at best.

Here is a sampling of those images. It is a bit of a long post, but I figure you will only read up on the plants that happen to catch your eye.

Phlox paniculata 'Nicky', yellow Rudbeckia, Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy'
and Agastache 'Blue Fortune'

Late August

Phlox paniculata 'Nicky': Nicky's deep plum color makes it a great companion for late summer Rudbeckia and Echinacea. Full sun or light shade. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender': I think this has become one of my favourite varieties of phlox. The flowers are a lovely lavender-mauve. Full sun or light shade (mine is in light shade). Average to moist growing conditions. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune': Height: 60-75 cm (20-30 inches), Spread: 45- 60 cm (18-23 inches). Full sun or light shade. Normal, sandy or clay soil are fine. Average, dry or moist growing conditions. Zones: USDA 2-9

White Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel': is pretty, but unlike the pink forms of Joe Pye Weed, 'Prairie Jewel' flops on rather weak stems. As you can see here in this picture, 'Prairie Jewel' ended up leaning heavily on the Agastache in front of it. Next year I must remember to support it properly. 'Prairie Jewel' blooms later than the pink varieties I grow and is a welcome addition to my fall garden. Height: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches), Spread: 60- 90 cm (24-36 inches). Full sun. Average to moist growing conditions. Zones: USDA 4-9.

Phlox paniculata 'Creme de Menthe': blooms a little later than many of the other varieties of phlox in my garden. One of its best features are its green leaves with cream colored margins. Full sun or light shade. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' in late September.

Agastache now brown and dry at the end of October

Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium dubium' Little Joe'

Dwarf Perennial Sunflower, Helianthus 'Happy Days': I think it is about time I cut this poor plant some slack. Though I like to experiment with new plants, I am always a bit apprehensive when a perennial is unfamiliar. It's a case of once bitten twice shy: I have enough problems already with aggressive plants like lily of the valley and goutweed.

I was suspicious the moment I removed 'Happy Days' from its nursery pot and saw long white roots wrapping around the root ball. Worried that it might be yet another vigorous spreader, I planted it in one of my raised beds where it could only travel so far. It has been in the garden for 3 years now and seems fairly well behaved. It has not spread wildly, but it does seem to shift its location slightly each year; preferring to move to a fresh spot each spring.

Height: 55-60 cm (22-24 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). My plant is in light shade. Average to moist well-drained soil. Water well until established. It blooms for at least a month when deadheaded. Zones: USDA 4-9

Rudbeckia triloba 'Prairie Glow' : This plant is relatively new to my garden. When it came up this spring, I did not recognize the stems or leaves and almost pulled it out as a weed! But the neat plum colored stems made me hesitate and I am glad I held off.
This is a new selection of Rudbeckia with bi-color blooms. It is a short-lived perennial with a tendency to reseed itself as it did in my garden. It is easy to grow in average or moist, well-drained soil. It is tall, and a bit floppy, so it is good to give it some support. Full sun. Height: 90-120 cm ( 36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches) . USDA Zones 3-10.

Rusty wondering when I am going to stop taking pictures and go inside to get his breakfast.

Anemone hupehensis 'Prince Henry': After a few failed attempts, I think I have finally found a good spot for growing anemones. My plant is just a year old, but is doing well. I have high hopes for lots more flowers next summer. 'Prince Henry' likes rich fairly moist soil and part shade. Height 60-80 cm (20-30 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (20-35 inches) USDA Zones 5-9.

Hollyhock Mallow, Malva sylvestris 'Purple Satin': This was an impulse purchase made this spring. I have always admired the self-seeded Mallows growing wild in the neighbourhood. They flower long after most other plants have succumbed to frost. The Mallows growing in wild patches here are relatively compact, so I was somewhat unprepared for the monstrous size of 'Purple Satin'. This plant reaches 3-4 feet! Even a tomato cage could not keep it upright.
Malva sylvestris 'Purple Satin': is a biennial that likes to reseed itself. Maroon flowers appear in mid-summer and continue well into the fall. Full sun. Height: 150 cm ( 3-4'), Spread 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). Average to moist water needs. USDA Zones: 4-9.
Note: I also grew some Mallow from seed and learned the hard way that Malva sylvestris seedlings hate being moved, so plant it where you want it to grow.

Phlox paniculata 'Bright Eyes': Full sun or light shade. Average to moist growing conditions. Height: 60-75 cm (20-30 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Sorry, this is one of my oldest clumps of phlox and I am not sure of the cultivar.

I have to ask: Does this....

 ...look anything like this?

I added Rosa 'Palmengarten Frankfurt' this spring, but the blooms don't look anything near as nice as the ones on this fine specimen at the Royal Botanical Garden in Hamilton. Even the shape of the flowers seems slightly off.

Perhaps time will tell.

I also a number of groundcover roses to my raised beds and a Hybrid Musk rose
I have long admired called 'Belinda'.

Sedum spectabile 'Neon' with another clump of Agastache 'Blue Fortune'

Sedum spectabile 'Neon': This Sedum has light green foliage and magenta-pink flowers.  Full sun. Like all Sedums, it is attractive to butterflies. Height: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches) Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA Zones: 2-9

Sedum 'Pure Joy': has a low, rounded mound of blue-green foliage and pale pink flowers. Grow it in poor to average well-drained soil. Full sun. Height: 20-30 cm (10-12 inches) Spread: 45-50 cm (18-20 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Early October

One of the things I love about Sedum is the way to changes color as the weather gets colder. I am not certain if this is Sedum 'Autumn Fire' or Sedum 'Autumn Joy'.

 Lobelia x speciosa 'Dark Crusader' and Lobelia siphilitica 'Alba'

 Last year I added three different varieties of Lobelia. They all bloomed for the first time this summer- not a spectacular display, but it is bound to get better with time.

Great Blue Lobelia or Cardinal Flower, Lobelia siphilitica

Ironweed, Vernonia gigantea: is a skyscraper of a plant. Fairly new to my garden, there were exactly three stems crowned with purple flowers this summer. Height: 180-210 cm,
Spread: 90-100 cm Full sun. It prefers moist soil, but my plant has average moisture only.

Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana: One final tall perennial. This is Pokeweed a plant native to northern and central North America. I have one plant that is about 6' or 7' tall. When they first appear in spring, the young shoots of the plant are edible (often refereed to as "poke sallet").

Parts of the mature plant and berries however, are poisonous (so not a great plant choice if you have kids). Pokeweed has outrageously colored magenta stems and berries that hang like grapes. At first the berries are green in color and then magenta. As they mature, they darken to plum and finally become shinny black.

A word of warning: I grow this Pokeweed because I love tall plants and I think the stems and black berries are neat. I am really, really careful not to let the berries fall to the ground. Each little berry has tons of seeds. What is a cool plant could easily become a big problem if you are not really careful.

Fall was lovely here, but it disappeared far too quickly. So many chores remained unfinished!
Oh well. There is always next year.

Have yourself a wonderful weekend!

  1. Holy cow!!! Your garden pictures look like they came out of a coffee table book, they are stunning!! The garden in front of your picket fence is so beautiful, well it's all beautiful. Thanks for all the good plant info, now there are even more plants I'd like to find and consider ! There's always work left undone but we always say too " there's always next year!"

  2. Jennifer girl ... I am always in awe of your pictures and garden (Rusty is a cutie pie too!)
    I'm sorry the sidewalk renovation was hard on that section of the garden ... it always looks so amazing to me, picture perfect in fact.
    I have often wondered about "ironweed" , I haven't seen it offered here but it may be from the mail order side. I will have to sparingly order next year because I sincerely do not have much room or any for expansion any more .. BIG sigh !
    This year went by way too fast ... it is almost a garden blur to me .. I have to go over my box of tags and make notes so I don't ruin any plantings with my Spring enthusiasm ! LOL
    Lovely post !
    Joy : )

  3. You have so many beautiful plants that I am unable to grow and they do so wonderfully for you. The garden looks absolutely splendid.

  4. Wonderful flower pictures and some beautiful combinations in your garden, it must be a lovely garden! Rusty is really worried about his breakfast, look at his face.....
    Wish you a Happy weekend!

  5. Jennifer I needed this many flowers I am overdosing on them especially the phlox....I am not sure I have a favorite but then I spied the white lobelia...would love it in my white garden but doubt it would grow well there...oh will it will be fun trying to find it. Indeed autumn was shortened by the polar vortex.

  6. With the cold & snow outside your fall garden pics were a refreshing delight :)

  7. WOW!! Loved wandering through the flower gardens with you! It's nice to see colour again ... I feel like we've had this snow for months already! White, white, white. We still have quite a few trees with leaves yet to come down, and lots of leaves buried under the snow that didn't get raked up in time. Yes, the snowfall left some chores unfinished. Have a great weekend, and with a rise in temps next week(?) maybe a few more chores will be completed :) Wendy x

  8. I really have to go back and focus in on some of the plants in your garden....there were so many that struck a chord with me!! I always love seeing your garden and get excited when you do posts about it! Sorry to hear that you lost some garden space along the picket fence. Everything is gorgeous Jennifer!! Nicole xo

  9. I would love to grow pokeweed as an ornamental, but even non-gardeners around here know this plant as one of our toughest native "weeds", but it is a great plant, with a great history. I understand there are culitvars that now have chartreuse and variegated foliage.

  10. Jennifer, of course I read every word! I always love to visit you, such beauty in your gardens. That was a huge tree, hope it didn't cause too much damage when it landed. You've got so many plants here, the helianthus and many, many different varieties of everything from sedum to phlox. And I am just like you; when I hear a plant can survive anything and see aggressive roots circling the pot, I'm scared. We've been fighting a battle with Bishop's Weed aka Snow on the Mountain aka Hugest Pain in the Gardening Universe for decades. And sadly, someone gave me an Ironweed a few years ago which is proving to be a thug in our sandy soil on the back hill of the quarry. It's coming up everywhere...and we're digging like badgers to stay ahead of it. Love the post, Jennifer!!

  11. The picture of your garden by the fence last summer is gorgeous. I'm sorry your front garden suffered from the construction but am looking forward to seeing the changes in the back garden now that there will be more light. Was the black walnut one of the trees to go?

    Your phlox collection is fantastic. Beautiful shots of the butterflies.

    1. Hi Sweetbay, Two of the three trees were Norway Maples- so not a big loss. Losing the other tree was sad however. I am not sure what sort of tree it was, a native tree of some kind I think. Every end of June-July it was covered in cherry-like berries that the robins and other birds went wild for.
      On the up side the tree had already been hit by some black fungal infection and would have had to come down anyway. The last winter's ice storm did it in early. We still had a huge cleanup to do this spring and all the branches had to be burned.
      On the down side we lost a lot of privacy. The tree was at the side of the house and blocked a view of the neighbour's house. Now we can see the neighbour's house far too well.

  12. Oh my goodness, it is so wonderful to see all of this color here!
    We are into our "gray period" now, so this is truly a special treat.
    Have a wonderful week, Jennifer!

  13. I so enjoyed getting to take this tour of your garden, Jennifer, and to see the handsome Rusty once again. I'll be interested to see how you deal with the new-found sun in your shade garden. It's a shame, though, you lost some of your garden along the sidewalk; this area has always been one of my favorites. I've never been a big fan of Agastache 'Blue Fortune,' but it really looks good in the combos you have here. I may have to re-think my opinion, especially since it's one Agastache that is cold-hardy for me. Good to see all these bright blooms on such a gray and gloomy November day!

  14. You know how much I love your flower photos, but I think the doggie pic is the best of the bunch. :)

  15. You just have such a magnificent garden Jennifer and it takes my breath away - I don't know how you manage to inject so much colour when your seasons are so short and often brutal - a sure sign of an excellent gardener. Long may you continue.

  16. Gorgeous pictures! You're right fall does go by too fast because there is so much to enjoy.

  17. Love love love your beautiful garden! It's full of personality... and your incredible knowledge of plants too!

  18. Thank you for this wonderful summer/fall review of your garden, Jennifer. All those beautiful flowers are a sight for sore eyes, especially as my garden is now covered in snow. P. x

I love to hear from you. Thanks for leaving a comment.


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Tag Archives: Baan Sa’bai

Ever Wonder What’s Up with Third Culture Kids? (TCK’s)

I’ve passed on articles before from David Lewis’ blog hosted on his website, http://paracletos.org.  Dave and his wife, Irene, are excellent missionary caregivers and have a beautiful care center called, Baan Sa’bai.

Posted in Thriving in Family Life, Thriving Kids | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Spring Knitting or Spring Hiking?

This was my dilemma as I sat down to write a new post, after three weeks of not doing so. Because I can't decide, I'm going to give you a little bit of both.

First the knitting: I've been working on socks, a shawl and a hat.  None are finished yet, but the socks and the shawl are getting close.  Here are one of the three pairs of socks I'm working on, Irishgirlieknits Honey Badger. I took the photo a few days ago, so I am almost to the heel now on the second sock.

I'm going to save a photo of the shawl for when it's done, but I will show you the hat I'm working on:

As you can see it's colorwork, Kate Gagnon Osborn's En Blekksprut Beret. I am currently much further along than the photo shows; I have finished the Fair Isle portion, and just started the stripes. The yarn, Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, is yummy.

I have one other BIG project that is off the needles, but not quite ready to be photographed. I'll give you a teaser photo for now, though.

On to hiking! There is a lot of snow in the mountains, so we have been hiking almost exclusively in the foothills, and, with one exception, we have gone to Cougar Mountain. In fact, we have hiked in Cougar Mountain four times in the last month. It has been a treat to watch spring advance a little each time we go there. Here is some of what we have seen:

The view of Lake Sammamish on a gray day, but with a bit of new green beginning to appear.

Beautiful blossoms, hidden in the forest.

Salmonberry blossoms, skunk cabbages and trilliums.

Tall trees, with new leaves silhouetted against a blue sky.

Yes, It's definitely spring!


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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Beyond the Looking Glass

Happy Holidays, all!

Ira will always have a first and foremost place in my heart but I have been hard at work on other projects as well. This includes a pretty hilarious ABC book, Illumination Gallery and my next graphic novel, 4 Hire.

Ira's drawing style is still the most natural for me. Who wouldn't want to get away with not drawing noses?! I think I found a great balance between cartoony and realistic figures. I still like to sketch and doodle this way to get my ideas down.

Many people have asked about a sequel to Ties. I would like to do something more with the friends I've met in Ira's world but so far Ira hasn't had anything to say about it. Honestly, after working on the idea for over 8 years I think Ira's pretty satisfied .... for now. You never know when that imp will start demanding more stories to be told.

I hope all of you are having a blessed Holiday season. I know Ira didn't get you anything!


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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Father's Day Poem

Dear Daddy,
I know that I’m not there yet, but I couldn’t wait to say,
How much I already love you, and it grows with everyday.
I love to hear your voice each night, when you read to me.
I love your waffle mornings and next time if you feel,
I will move and wiggle; it’s just for you, from me.

October is coming soon daddy, I can hardly wait,
to look you in the eyes and know that I am safe.
So, since we can’t be together today
I whispered this to mommy,
I love you & Happy Father’s Day

Your son,

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Friday, December 31, 2010

Look at Me...I'm 4 months old!

4 months old 1

Sometimes it takes me a full day to figure out what to say in a blog post. I will write a sentence or two and then walk away and think of something else and write more. Today is one day that I'm happy I'm a slow thinker, while daddy and I were playing Scrabble you rolled over for us. I'm so happy daddy was there to see you roll for the first time. He is so very proud of you!

Your smile makes my day so much better. You laugh and it brings a joyful tear to my eye. My little Prince you are growing fast.

Showing off his long legs and pouty face.

4 months old 1

You laughed out loud for the first time on 12/26/2010
Your first tooth came through on 12/25/2010
You rolled tummy to back for the first time on 12/31/2010
You experienced your first Christmas and New Year's(well that will be tonight)
You flew on your first flight on 12/24/2010

I will update the blog with his height & weight after his Dr's appointment next Monday. Last time we weighed him on the Wii fit he weighed over 15lbs and when we
measured him he was around 25"

Parker had his 4 month checkup today and is weighing in at 16lbs 1oz and is 24.5" long.

Just saying Hi!

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Friends! Very excited to attend this event that my friend Lani Trock created and curated for The Standard, Hollywood's artist-of-the-month installation! Please do come by and say hello to me if we cross paths. Her live plants and beautiful photos of flowers will surely cast a spell on you! See you there ;)
flowers for the moon.
thursday, 4/24 at 7pm

the standard, hollywood.
8300 w sunset blvd.
west hollywood, ca 90069

featuring photographs by:
bella medrano
benjamin heath
brent paul pearson
chantal anderson
christian sorensen hansen
daniel velasco
emily ho
esteban schimpf
hamish robertson
jared richard
jena malone
jessie webster
jimmy marble
julie lee
lani trock
lauren randolph
saul germaine
sera lindsey
stella berkofsky
teddy ripple
yasmine khatib

and an animated short by:
georgia tribuiani

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Diana Scherer / Nurture Studies

top four from Nurture Studies / next two from Flowerfield / last image from Bunch

Very excited to share Diana Scherer's work with you. She's an artist / photographer / collector and her work and process is one that I appreciate and admire greatly. The above photos are of wildflowers and weeds grown from seed and taken from her garden (love this) in the Netherlands and patiently manipulated, sometimes for up to six months, in vases so that the soil and roots are coerced to take the shape of the vessel. When the moment is right, she breaks the vases and 'captures' her pieces. Thus, collecting the fleeting moment of a bloom in it's prime before it fades and dies. After shooting it she puts it back in her garden (again, I so appreciate this entire process). 'That Scherer has tended and reworked the root system before releasing the plant back to let nature run its own course, once again echoes the cyclical aspects of nature, of life and death, and of regeneration and degeneration.'

“The ambiguous nature of collecting intrigues me,” she says. “It involves loving attention as well as a fanatical desire to control. The collector documents and stores the object of his desire in a systematic and detached way. I also treat and present my work in an objective manner, even though working with nature has an emotional charge for me.”  - D. Scherer

read more about her process and work here
see (please do) more of her work here

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Debbi Carlos' ORCHIDS

and look at Debbi Carlos' orchids!
such a great little flower-photo-zine of an orchid show.
so neat

Recent floral work for a shoot.
I have been really into orchids lately . . . do you like them too?

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Gardenista / Less is More

all photos by yours truly

Friends! I'm so very excited and hugely flattered to share with you the TIGERS to LILIES feature on Gardenista! You know how much I love Gardenista so it's an extra bonus and major honor to be there again (remember my floral crown tutorial last summer?)! I was interviewed for it by Leigh Patterson, of Synonym Journal. She detailed such a wonderful piece and what I appreciate most about it is that she stayed true to my word. No exaggerations or tales. Am I gushing too much? Oh gosh. I am just really, really happy. It is a piece that I believe in too, about how significant nature is for all of us and how we very much need it indoors as much as outdoors. How it doesn't have to be extravagant either. Meaning you can do it too! Less is More. Keep it wild, keep it natural.

Have a read here
See more of my work here

thank you so kindly LP + Gardenista! it is always such an honor x

Monday, April 7, 2014

“We depend on nature not only for our physical survival. We also need nature to show us the way home, the way out of the prison of our minds. We got lost in doing, thinking, remembering, anticipating – lost in a maze of complexity and a world of problems.
“We have forgotten what rocks, plants and animals still know. We have forgotten how to be – to be still, to be ourselves, to be where life is: here and now.”
~E. Tolle
 A beautiful image + gentle reminder from this site that I like to frequent often when I need some encouragement, some guidance, some lifting, some grounding, some input, some astral insights, some positivity or simply put some stellar advice. I think that you will like it too.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Standard Plant-scription

The Standard Hotel, Hollywood has had a plant-scription with me for almost a year now, and to this day it is one of my very favorite places to bring plants to! Their plant-scription consists of me bringing in plants that A) will last B) enhance the environment and C) are design appropriate for the Standard's keen aesthetic. Once all the plants are installed, I come in and water, administer vitamins (if needed) and make sure that everyone is thriving and happy. It's very satisfying to see my green friends not only live but thrive in this environment! I even brought a baby pineapple to maturity indoors

This week we included plants for their iconic pool. I worked closely with their design director to make sure that the plants out by the pool would look different than the usual suspects. We chose ones that resembled underwater sea-life, like corals and anemones. Immediately they were all very well received. Thus, the clients are happy, The Standard is happy, my green friends are happy, and I am (extremely) happy!

If you are curious about a plant-scription for your home, your office, your hotel, or to gift to someone else simply email me :  Let's start this conversation and bring in some nature indoors! Woohoo ; )

 xx thank you so much Jenni B. + The Standard Hotel! xx

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

happy April first, friends
xo! lili

Taylor Stitch : The Ladies Club

A few weeks back, my friends at Funkhaus and their friends over at Taylor Stitch asked if I would be interested in being featured in TS The Ladies Club. I was delighted and said why yes! of course. How fun! And fun it was - I got to showcase some of my favorite green friends, including that I brought to Funkhaus almost a year ago and continue to care for weekly through my plant-sciption service. I watch them like a proud mama, all of them thriving and growing. I made a new human friend along the way too, the brilliant Kate Jones of Ursa Major who outfitted me in head-to-toe Taylor Stitch. I like that all of their clothing is part tomboy, part sophisticated, and all the way cool. Overall, a really fun day that ended with a big lunch and a many good laughs.

Thank you so much Funkhaus (you boys are so good to me) + Taylor Stitch!
read the rest here

photos by: Anthony Masters
styling by: Kate Jones
all clothes Taylor Stitch


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My People

My People
My People - Cosette, Austin, Oliver, Cody, me & Ryan. Just think, had I not lived, these people wouldn't be on the planet. They are my whole heart!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Tuesday Stuff

A very rare photo of Austin smiling. Black makes him happy.
So many thoughts today... no logical order of things. This entry brought to you by Better Living Through Pharmaceuticals. I hate them but today has been one of those days that I am so grateful to have access to some sort of relief.

Where to start? Obamacare? Government shut down? Weather? My unbelievably miserable pain? I'll cover them all and include photos of Austin's room throughout.

Ok, Obamacare. I understand the website is crashing. I also understand that I'm below the income level of being fined for not having insurance. Has Obamacare changed my life or improved my standard of medical care? Am I receiving my "right" to health care? No. Not yet. Those meds I took today were one hundred percent paid for by me. My plan is to go to the local DFCS office and see what kind of information they can offer me. Maybe tomorrow. I just can't get behind any law that is passed with the kind of obnoxious statement Nancy Pelosi made, "we've got to pass the bill to see what's in it." that's dangerous pool in my book.

Logan's dragon
Government shut down. Instead of starting with the hard working folks with government jobs losing their paycheck, why not start with the folks who are failing to do their job by passing a budget? Seems to me that if they were missing out on the cash they'd be a lot more likely to find common ground.

The fact that Obama is more willing to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood than he is with the Republicans in Congress says a lot about what's wrong with our country.

I know of a few people who have been furloughed. A friend got notice that his son's pre-k (which I thought was funded by the lottery in Georgia) may have to close if the shut down continues past this week. I'm bothered by the thought of our military not receiving pay or benefits. I don't understand the concept of "non-essential" employees. If you're not essential, why are you being paid? I'm a big fan of National Parks and it's unfortunate that they would close. I just believe there is so much government waste. Our priorities are out of whack. Help those who can't help themselves. Give a hand up instead of a hand out. Don't create generation after generation of people who are dependent on the government. The people who are receiving have no incentive to achieve and those who are giving up a large portion of their paycheck lose their incentive to achieve. We become a nation of underachievers.

That's out of my system now.

In good news... we discovered today that Papa's Pizza delivers to our house. OH! Happy! DAY! Austin had two friends spending the night... Logan (who is here more than he's home) and their friend Sean. The two friends went in with me on the cost of pizza. We had a late lunch/ early dinner so I'm happy. No mess in the kitchen. All good stuff.

the whole dragon
Yesterday when I took my nieces home after school we made a video of them doing the Cup Song. I posted it on Facebook but couldn't get it posted here. It's adorable. You should check it out. THEY are adorable. You won't believe how grown up they look. My favorite part of the whole process wasn't on the video. It was Jamie asking if I was going to put it on my blog. I started blogging the day after she was born. She knows Aunt Heather blogs and she knows she's one of my favorite blog subjects.

Also really funny... Sarabeth is having a birthday party this month for her 11th birthday. When she turned two she had a "Cow and Pig" birthday party- it was farm themed. She says that now she's having the 11 year old version of a "Cow and Pig" birthday - they're going to have bbq for dinner and bacon for breakfast. She's witty, that one. I told her I'd see if I could find some cow and pig themed snacks.

The weather continues to be absolutely perfect. Here's a picture of the clear blue sky and puffy white clouds yesterday while I waited in the car rider line at the girls' school. It was 52 degrees here this morning. Nice chill in the air... mist rising from the lake... just perfect.

Today was supposed to be grocery shopping day but I knew by the time my feet hit the floor this morning that I didn't have that kind of strength today. Instead I made a quick trip to the Dollar General for necessities (juice and cat litter) and decided we'd try again tomorrow. It would have helped if I had cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday. It was one extra step in the process that I knew I didn't have in me. Also... it was "must wash" day for my hair and too cool to head out the door with it wet. I needed pain meds and couldn't take them and drive. So when I added up all the steps - shower, dry hair, clean out fridge, shop, put away groceries - that had to be done while still in pain, I knew I had to hold off. It's not like we're OUT of food. We've got lots of ingredients... just not a lot of quick stuff and when I feel this way, it must be quick. That's what made delivery pizza such a happy, happy thing for me.

I think Austin's room turned out just fine for Austin. Personally, I think it could use two coats of the black but if he's happy, I'm happy. I went ahead and let him move my bed into his room. At the end of November we're moving a bed up from the old house for me. In the meantime I've got the bed on the top floor that we might just move downstairs if there's going to be a time span between the Whine Cellar being ready for me to inhabit again and moving day for the stuff from the old house. If the rightful owner of the bed I'm sleeping in (my cousin) comes to claim it, we'll move my bed back from Austin's room and let him go back to the air mattress. Confusing? It is for me too. My dad has a chart that outlines what bed goes where and when. I just know that my kid is back in his little nest and no longer littering up my Whine Cellar Living Room with his X-box Lounge and his Basement Clown Posse.

I am really fond of the purple we used, though and if my budget would allow, I would totally redo my bedroom that color of purple. I'm strongly considering painting the downstairs bathroom with that color but the thought of taping up all those fixtures (or supervising Austin doing it) makes my head hurt.

In cousin news... I literally have dozens of cousins... that's why there's rarely a day without a cousin encounter of some sort... I had a nice chat on Sunday with a cousin who is getting married next year. This is the only child of the Uncle that I worked for. We didn't really have a lot of chances to get acquainted while we were growing up...and she's ten years younger than me... but we had a fun chat. Facebook has connected me with family in ways that would have never have been possible otherwise.

My cousin filled me in on where Grandma's 90th birthday party is going to be held and good GOLLY Miss MOLLY that place is expensive! There's not a single entree on the menu under $20. I hope the cost doesn't keep people away because to me 90 is a big, big deal. I never go out to eat and I'll do this. It's gonna hurt like heck and it will hurt worse when the check comes but I'll do it.

And now I'm out of steam. Hope your Tuesday has been good. Hope this entry made sense. Thanks for stopping by. Love and hugs, y'all.


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Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Cyberbullying Hollywood

So, we've all heard about (and weighed in on) the celebrity photo hacking scandal that hit the news a couple of days ago. We've heard about three beautiful actors/models who had their iCloud photos hacked into, and nude photos of them were distributed online. There are many more than three. But that isn't the point of this entry.

I have seen every reaction from the lascivious to the mocking, and what tends to emerge more often than not is the victim blaming.

"If you don't want nude photos of yourself accessed, why do you leave them online?"

"If they thought anything they did was private, they were ignorant."

"It's their own fault for having raunchy photos of themselves in the first place."

And so on and so forth.

There's one problem with that: it blames the victim.

Let me preface this by saying that celebrities in all walks of fame realize that their lives are lived in a fishbowl. But they are entitled to privacy, and they do get that in many other aspects. It is not for anyone to breach their chosen privacy. Nor is the public entitled to every single element of their lives beyond that which they distribute consensually.

Let's look at it from the above perspective:

Yes, anything you put online is out there. Nothing is private, everything is permanent. These are warnings I give people all the time, as an educator well versed in all elements of the digital world.

But if it is private - i.e. your iCloud (which is not a public place) - does that make it fair game if it's digital?

Let's look at it from the lowest common denominator: let's remove "nude" from the equation. Let's just call them "photos". And let's remove "cloud" from the equation, let's just call it "digital storage".

There are digital storage services everywhere, from Dropbox to Carbonite. These are "cloud-based" services that are private. They are like storage lockers for the digital world. The user is assigned space in the ether, a password (which is purposely required to be strong in nature) and pays, per month or per gigabyte, for the storage privileges which keeps their digital "stuff" off their physical drives.

Cloud-based storage services act like physical drives in every way but physical. They are accessible to the user, they store anything digital, from documents to photos to music, and they are private.

If someone came into your house and took your portable hard drive, jump drive or laptop, took the photos you had stored there, and distributed them, you would be crying bloody murder and you would probably accuse them of a crime.

Would you blame yourself for having your photos (nude or otherwise) stored on that drive in the first place? I'm thinking you wouldn't.

So why is it the fault of these celebrities to have had their photos stolen? And why on earth is it their fault to have had those photos at all? It doesn't matter what the nature of the photos were. It doesn't matter what the nature of the storage was.

It matters that someone took something that belonged to someone else and publicly distributed that material without the knowledge or permission of the owners.

As simple as that.

Blaming these women for having nude photos, or nude photos in the cloud is like blaming the holder of a credit card for the security breaches we've seen at Target, and Home Depot.

Blaming these women for having nude photos in a place that is accessible is like blaming the person who has valuable jewelry in a safety deposit box that gets blown open and robbed during a bank robbery.

Blaming these women for having photographs stored in the cloud is like blaming anyone for having anything in their homes after they are victims of a home invasion.

Blaming these women for having nude photos at all is a dangerous practice. For me, it goes beyond just victim blaming in Hollywood.

As a cyberbullying educator, I am alarmed by the trends I am seeing against those celebrities. See, I am always asked "what can a parent do when their child comes home and says they are being cyberbullied?"

Fact: cyberbullying largely goes unreported for fear of being told one has done something to provoke one's bully.

The first thing you do is assure that child that they have done nothing wrong, nothing to bring about the bullying. Because they haven't.

Fact: another major reason kids don't report cyberbullying is out of fear that their parents will take away their device.

So, what you must remember is not to take away the device(s) from your child. It is not the device that provoked the bullying; bullying is entirely because of the perpetrator of the behavior. We don't blame the device. We don't blame the victim. We address the behavior by reporting the child who is bullying another, either to his/her parents, the school, or both.

Back to Hollywood.

Factor the above into this situation: those of you questioning the women for having nude photos in the cloud or on their devices are responding in the two biggest undesirable ways we advise against when in a cyberbullying situation. Don't ever suggest the bullying was provoked, don't blame the device.

That's why this situation is a red flag to me. Because I see people blaming grown women for a crime of invasion against them and their property instead of blaming the criminals for invading privacy and stealing property.

Moreover, you are judging them for those photos. And while your judgment will probably never reach or matter to them, it is not your business to sit on the high horse and tell others what they should or should not be doing with their cameras. Or the products of those cameras.

And you are adding to the victimization by pointing a finger at them with a "shame on you" written along its length.

Think about it. What if it were your child? Would you ask them why they took those photos in the first place? I really hope you wouldn't, because that would instantly trigger feelings of shame, humiliation, regret, self-deprecation, and guilt. No matter how loving you might be in addressing this situation, the message of "why did you...?" is loud and clear, and though they might not show you, they will already be blaming themselves.

Let's face it - the nature of the photos is irrelevant. I would be just as pissed off if my photo stream were hacked and a photo of my dog were stolen without my permission. Why? Because it is an invasion of my privacy, and a theft of my property.

Let me add that theft of digital or intellectual property posted online is a form of cyberbullying. One of the biggest factors of educating people about cyberbullying is to help them see how it manifests, and it isn't always in the most obvious ways.

By scoffing at those who took the photos and stored them in the cloud, you are not only condoning cyberbullying behavior (the theft/hacking) but you are joining in.

Think about that.

And please, let's have a dialogue. If you have comments, questions, critiques - I am here to listen, to help and to educate. The more people who can see how cyberbullying manifests and recognize it when it does, the fewer victim-blamers we will have.

The Hollywood scandal goes way beyond the celebrity magazines. This incident has a much larger message for every parent, every grandparent, every sibling, every aunt, uncle, coach, friend, teacher, principal, guidance counselor.

Let's talk.

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The Michigan Board of Law Examiners promulgated, administers and grades the Michigan Bar Examination. It is offered twice a year. Each time it is administered, a company of legal professionals is enlisted to get you your grade.

The Multistate Bar Examination

The Multistate Bar questions are graded by the National Board of Law Examiners. That part of your exam is automatically graded and available to the Board soon after the Bar Exam is administered.

The Michigan Essay Examination

The Michigan Board of Law Examiners is made up of 5 members.  Each member is responsible for 3 of the 15 essay questions.  To assist in the grading, the Board member hires three graders to assist in the grading. Each grader is responsible to grade one question.  The Bar Examination blue books go between each grader where the initial grades are assigned.

After the initial grades are assigned, these scores are paired with the MBE scores to determine who passed and who did not. If the score falls between 130-134, those papers are re-graded by different graders to see if any more points will be awarded. After the regrading process is complete, the Board of Law Examiners ‘curves’ the test according to an unpublished formula.  In the February 2009 Bar Examination, this added, on average, 5.66 points.  Once the adjusted scores are recorded, the official letters are sent out to the bar candidates.

How The Answers Are Graded

As to grading individual answers, the graders are looking for answers that are 1) responsive to the question asked, 2) citing the correct law, 3) analytical as to key facts and 4) come to the right conclusion.  As the grader reads over 1000 versions of the answer, they usually spend no more than 60-90 seconds to grade the answer.  They’re looking for terms of art applicable to the question, organization comporting with the Call of the question and readability.  The graders do not use the Model Answer as a grading rubric, but a ‘checklist’ or ‘tally sheet’ published in-house to speed the process.  In as much as the grader reads the same question over and over, they are quite familiar with what should be present in the answer.

No one claims to get it right each time.  Subjectivity, fatigue and misreading an answer are all possibilities why an answer may not get the credit it deserves or gets greater credit than would be warranted.  The graders are trying to find the credit you deserve but more importantly they are upholding the integrity of the test.


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William Shatner performs during his one-man show, "Shatner's World: We Just Live In It," in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller—Getty Images
By Jack Linshi
July 22, 2014

Actor William Shatner, an outspoken Twitter rights activist, took to Tumblr Tuesday to review Facebook Mentions, the new celebrities-only app meant to boost public figures’ interactions with their fans. And he isn’t too amused.

The Star Trek alum compared the older Pages App to Mentions, the new app that “most of [us] don’t have access to.” Shatner’s review contains five chapters for five comparable features between Pages and Mentions, stamping them each with the Shatner seal of approval or disapproval. He likes that Mentions allows him to track trends, mentions (of course) and notifications, but what didn’t float his boat were certain features that weren’t seamlessly integrated across Mentions and Pages, or ones that seemed to him like they were carelessly lumped in the app.

“The Fifth and final section of each app [Pages’ Feed and Mentions’ Photos, Events and Settings] seems like they are afterthoughts – where can we put these items,” Shatner wrote.

At times Shatner is a harsh critic, writing that both Pages and Mention “clearly both fail” with regards to posting options. Not only that, but he also seemed creeped out by the strange marketing strategy—a banner ad featuring a graphic of his face pasted onto an iPhone—and annoyed that he’d been forced to follow a celebrity to begin using the app. Of course, Facebook suggested that he follow Star Trek‘s George Takei, though the two aren’t exactly on good terms. In the end, Shatner remained skeptical of the new app’s usefulness.

“I’m not quite sure why Facebook released this app for ‘celebrities,'” Shatner wrote. “It seems to be ill conceived. I will probably use it to post to my Facebook when I’m on my phone but it doesn’t allow for mail or groups. I will continue to use my regular Facebook App as well as the Pages app.”

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Limacina helicina sea snail
Alexander Semenov—Getty Images
By Bijan Stephen
May 3, 2014

Climate change has claimed its latest victim: Limacina helicina, a planktonic, predatory sea snail that’s a member of the taxonomic group more commonly known as sea butterflies. (The name is derived from the wing-like lobes the tiny creatures use to get around.) In a study recently published in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a group of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon State University have found that the Pacific Ocean’s decreasing pH—its acidifying, in other words—is dissolving L. helicina’s thin shells.

The researchers collected sea butterfly samples from 13 sites along the Pacific coast (between Washington and southern California), going over each with a scanning electron microscope. More than half of the shells (53%) from onshore individuals showed signs of “severe dissolution damage,” while 24% of offshore individuals suffered dissolution damage. The study’s principal investigator, Dr. Nina Bednaršek of NOAA, described the affected L. helicina shells as having a texture not unlike “cauliflower” or “sandpaper.”

According to the paper, there was a “strong positive correlation” between the proportion of sea butterflies with severe shell dissolution damage and “the percentage of undersaturated water” near the ocean’s surface. The researchers conclude “shell dissolution owing to [human-caused ocean acidification] has doubled in near shore habitats since pre-industrial conditions across this region and is on track to triple by 2050,” a truly grim prognostication. Moreover, the broader implications for ecosystem are unclear, as damaged shells make it harder for L. helicina to fight infections, stay buoyant, and protect themselves from predators.

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The Road Warriors in Lycra

On Saturday May 20th Richard and Callum Witherington, Antonio Monteiro and Henryk Juszcak (known as the Road Warriors in Lycra) set off on a 100 mile bike ride to help raise money for Time2Talk’s therapeutic counselling service. A service that provides therapies for young people with issues ranging from severe anxiety to suicidal thoughts and self harm. Time2Talk is, like many charities, working in a challenging environment when it comes to funding so this money represents a massive boost to the agency.

The guys arrived outside the Time2Talk office on Sunday 21st May to a rapturous welcome from family and friends and supporters of Time to Talk. Between them approximately £2000 has been raised for the charity!

We would like to give a huge thank you to the Road Warriors in Lycra!

Opening Times

  • Monday – Friday ~ 10.00am – 2.00pm
  • Monday – Thursday ~ 3.30pm – 5.30pm
  • Saturday ~ 10.00am -12.00pm
  • Sunday Closed

Please note that Time2Talk's office hours differ from our opening times, our office hours are:

Monday - Thursday ~ 9:30am - 5:30pm
Friday ~ 9:30am - 2:00pm
Saturday ~ 9:30am - 12pm
Sunday ~ Closed

Time2Talk is always in need of funding, we work very hard to maintain our services and are very appreciative of any support.

If you are interested in making a donation or would like to find out more about us before deciding, you can either ring or just drop in to see us.

Cheques are the preferred method and you shall always be given a receipt.

All donation are acknowledged, unless otherwise noted.

Urgent Support

Should you need urgent or immediate support please contact:-

0800 1111

The Samaritans:-
08457 90 90 90

Other Help.

For other non urgent help:-

0300 456 2531

Support Time2Talk

We are always most grateful for any donations.  Gift Aid is a way to increase the value of monetary gifts from UK taxpayers by claiming back the basic rate tax paid by the donor. It can increase the value of donations by a quarter at no extra cost to the donor. For further infomation on how to Gift Aid It click here and continue helping the Young People of Daventry & South Northants.

And now you can donate using JustTextGiving.  Text ANFI 46 £your amount to 70070 to donate NOW!  e.g. ANFI 46 £5.

Texts are charged at your operator's standard rate.  The charity will receive 100% of your donation.  You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer's permission. For full information and terms and conditions please visit


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The British Early Musik Consort
December 14, 2015, 9:45 am

Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah will be holding a music concert titled, The British Early Musik Consort with Emma Jane Dunnell at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre on 16 December at 7pm.

For further details: Visit,

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"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."

"Envy comes from wanting something that isn't yours. But grief comes from losing something you've already had."

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The best new tech for designers to drop in 2017

Latest / Online / Technology

Whether its high-powered all-in-one PCs or simply more refined input devices that are on the horizon, more technology companies than ever are eager to please designers, illustrators and digital artists of all types with inspirational wares. Much like an artist on the hunt for the best pencils, digital artists are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest gadgets to help bring their creations to life. If that’s you, don’t miss what Microsoft, Apple, […]

15 best new pieces of tech for designers in 2016

Latest / Online / Technology

The last 12 months have been host to a wealth of new hardware launches and a veritable parade of impressive tech, and happily plenty of it has been designed with creative professionals in mind. From innovative takes on traditional desktop and notebook computing, to revolutionary new input devices fine-tuned for digital artists, it’s been an exciting annum of inspirational gadgetry indeed. Whether you’re a budding graphic designer working from home or a veteran visual effects […]


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Canberra dismisses threat from Timor

THREATS by East Timor to invite Malaysia's state-owned energy company, Petronas, to develop the oil- and gas-rich Greater Sunrise field in the Timor Sea have drawn a rebuke from Canberra, with a reminder to Dili to abide by its "legal obligations".

Development of the $20 billion Greater Sunrise field faces potential delays over demands by East Timor for Woodside Energy to scrap plans for a floating platform to process the oil and gas and instead build a lengthy pipeline to shore.

At the weekend, the Gusmao government threatened to invite Petronas to undertake the development unless Woodside agreed to the pipeline plan.

But yesterday Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson stepped in with a warning for East Timor.

"The Australian government has consistently maintained that the location of LNG processing is a commercial decision for the Sunrise joint venture," Mr Ferguson said.

"The Australian government is committed to the Timor Sea Treaty, the International Unitisation Agreement, and the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea.

"As we have always said, we will carry out our obligations and we expect the Timor Leste government to meet its obligations."

The dispute has its origins in an earlier decision by Conoco-Phillips to build an LNG pipeline from its Bayu-Undan field to a processing facility in Darwin.

The project resulted in angry claims from East Timor that Australia was getting the main economic benefits from development of the Timor Sea.

Yesterday, senior oil industry sources played down Timor's threats to bring in Petronas.

"Despite what Dili is saying, I doubt Petronas would be keen to get in a stoush with big oil -- Woodside is 40 per cent owned by Shell," one executive said.

A spokesman for Woodside said while engineering and feasibility plans were under way, a final decision on developing Greater Sunrise was not expected until 2012.

Under a deal signed with the Howard government in 2007, East Timor and Australia agreed to share upstream revenues from Greater Sunrise 50-50, which could end up with both countries each receiving $10bn over the life of the project.

Tuesday 4 May, 2010
The Australian

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