Michael Bublé is no Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, but his impromptu acapella performance of “Who’s Lovin’ You” is pretty neat, plus I think I have a thang for subways:
Something for the ladies I suppose 😉
Happy Momma’s Day
•May 12, 2013 • Leave a CommentTechnically, everyday is mother’s day. Put on your shoes or pick up the phone and remind her why she should feel proud.
Love is in the Air
•May 9, 2013 • Leave a Comment
A simple love story projected into the warm breath of a couple:
Quite clever.
‘Harbinger Wars’ Here I Come! [comics]
•May 9, 2013 • Leave a CommentProviding the weather doesn’t pack in, I’ll be picking up my comics tomorrow — YESSSS. So glad I found and stuck with Valiant Comics’ Harbinger reboot. Since Punk Rock Jesus and Planetoid concluded, Harbinger has become one of my favourite series to look forward to. Harbinger Wars merely affirms my elation with the series:
Peter Stanchek is a psionically endowed individual — a harbinger, — who was prophesized as having great potential to reshape the course of human history.
Peter’s trust gets betrayed by a powerful man and fellow harbinger, Toyo Harada, who only wants to control Peter’s power and isolate him within his secret network of conspiracy known as the Harbinger Foundation. Now on the run with the friends he has made and helped along the way, Peter’s journey and ultimate fate lie within the pages of this four-part Harbinger Wars series, which ties in with Harbinger and Bloodshot (another comic of another superhero in the Valiant universe).
Peter must now confront Harada and his followers, but not alone.
I like comic books and stories in general so I can’t very well ignore this event.
I’m a bit disappointed with the artwork in Shrugged Vol 2 but I’ll stick with it for the story, especially because I found Michael Turner’s original to be extremely entertaining.
Star Wars: Legacy is shaping up nicely too. I’m loving Rachelle Rosenberg’s colour work at the moment, although she had me at Alabaster Wolves. I’ll upload some photos of my collection some time. Eventually… Maybe… You know what, don’t hold your breath.
2013 BNZ Literary Awards
•May 8, 2013 • Leave a CommentEstablished in 1959! New Zealand’s most distinguished short story competition — for both aspiring and established writers — is back for its 54th year. The 2013 BNZ Literary Awards are now open until 30 June, giving you plenty of time to start writing something beautiful. Preferably with your eyes open:
E N T R Y C A T E G O R I E S
BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award category — Enter now
The main award category – $10,000 prize money
Minimum length 1,000 words – maximum length 5,000 words
BNZ Novice Writer Award category — Enter now
For unpublished writers – $1,500 prize money
Minimum length 1,000 words – maximum length 3,000 words
BNZ Young Writer Award category — Enter now
For writers who are at secondary school – $1,500 for the student
and $2000 for the winner’s school
Minimum length 750 words – maximum length 2,000 words
BNZ Short Short Story Award category — Submit your entry via Facebook
A short story of a maximum of 150 words – $500 prize money.
M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N
Visit the BNZ-Literary-Awards and The Auckland Writers & Readers Festival websites for more details. Enjoy writing and goodluck 😉
Winners will be announced in September 2013
Cleveland Hero Charles Ramsey Interview on Kidnappings
•May 8, 2013 • Leave a CommentGood Samaritan Charles Ramsey helped save three captive women then gave the best interview ever televised:
Three women, who went missing separately about a decade ago, were rescued from a house in Cleveland after one of the missing women flagged down a neighbor, Charles Ramsey, who then helped her slip through an obstructed front door.
Man speaks his mind, I’ll give him that. This is an insane, scary story and one can only imagine what these women have gone through.
Amanda Berry disappeared in 2003 from a busy block in Cleveland at the age of 16. Berry, imprisoned in a house owned by Ariel Castro, is now 27. To complicate matters, recent tests confirm that alleged kidnapper Ariel Castro is the father of Berry’s six-year-old daughter, who was also kept hidden from the outside world. Who helped deliver the baby and where did Berry give birth? Police reports verify that delivery took place in an inflatable pool and Michelle, whose life was threatened by Ariel, delivered the child. More on Michelle later.
Ariel’s brothers, Pedro Castro, 54, and Oneil Castro, 50, have also been arrested in connection with the kidnappings of the three women: Amanda Berry, now 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. As suspected accessories to kidnapping, It looks as if this event may have been a family affair. There is even a video of Pedro telling reporters last July what a waste of time searching for Berry is. You can read more about the brothers @ DailyMailOnline
Another interesting issue that will never be fully addressed by the media is that of Michelle Knight, one of the three women found in the house who went missing August 2002, before either Berry or DeJesus. Michelle asked her privacy be respected shortly after being found, in light of that however, there is less media coverage and public knowledge on Michelle Knight because police officials and social workers assumed she ran away from her family on her own freewill — at least that is what they told Michelle’s family — and the search for her was dropped. Consequently the FBI never got involved. The only person who believed Michelle was kidnapped was her mother, Barbara Knight, as reported by the Plain Dealer. So sadly, no one is making a big media fuss over Michelle Knight because no one made a big media fuss over her when she went missing, which to me says a lot about our current media influenced society.
Police eventually stopped searching for Michelle, but Barbara kept papering the city of Cleveland with fliers. She eventually moved to Florida but kept going back to Ohio to look for her daughter even though the FBI apparently never got involved with the case.
The scariest thing about this story however is the fact that this isn’t as uncommon as many believe. Human trafficking is a reality society hasn’t even scratched the surface of. Kidnapping is a despicable act. I hope the Castros get what’s coming to them.
Western Australia’s Near-Earth Asteroids [time-lapse]
•May 7, 2013 • Leave a CommentAmazing. Damn you light-pollution! The teeny-tiny object passing across the screen from top-left moving down is a 45m wide asteroid dubbed, 2012 DA14. What makes this asteroid significant is that it was predicted to pass at 28,000km from Earth — the closest encounter with an asteroid ever predicted. Scary stuff right? Impact calculations verified that the asteroid had such a low density that it would have burst as it hit our atmosphere, if it indeed was to hit Earth, which obviously it didn’t, Phew.
Photographer Colin Legg, busy making calculations and calibrations of his own 350 km east of Perth, not only managed to capture DA14 passing the 3.24am sky, but a flurry of celestial activity and satellites along with it:
The scene was captured at 50 mm, iso 8000, f/2.2, 8 second shutter, 9 second intervals [using a Canon 5D Mark II and a 6D]. For more details and other examples of my work, check out – facebook.com/ColinLeggPhotography
Wow; I counted at least 25 objects in that short window of time and space. Beautiful!
R.I.P. Chi Cheng
•May 6, 2013 • Leave a CommentMy dad of all people mentioned the sad news that Deftones’ bassist passed away. My iPod reminded me this morning. Shortly after the Deftones formed in 1988, Chi Cheng joined the four-piece garage band, who went on to make hits ever since:
Deftones are right up there as being one of the coolest ongoing bands on the planet. Deftones‘ sound is unique, melodious and struck a chord with me like no other band has the first time they invaded my youth. Thanks Chi. This is the track that made me a fan for life:
AT-AT Cloud
•May 4, 2013 • Leave a CommentSooooo, I’ll take that as a sign of divine blessing or something:
Neat. Doesn’t that look familiar to you?
HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!
•May 4, 2013 • Leave a Comment‘May the fourth be with you’ is a popular pun spoken by most Star Wars fans on this day. Other fans may not say much, but you just watch them close! They could be using Force persuasion to delude your senses:
I must be getting old. Finding office stationary more exciting than a gallery of slave Leia girls should be of concern to many a fanboy. Pretty sweet X-wing though, right?
🎭 