Warning about photos taken from phones, please watch this short clip.

android (Photo credit: osde8info)

You may have seen this before ….. worth repeating.

 

If you, your kids or grand kids take pics from your phone, check out this video! This is truly alarming – please take the time to watch.

At the end they’ll tell you how to set your phone so you don’t run this risk!
“
http://www.youtube.com/embed/N2vARzvWxwY?rel=0
“

Just When You Think You Have Seen It All

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) (Photo credit: David Cook Wildlife Photography (kookr))

I don’t know how he trained these budgies. They are very clever and cute. Our budgie rules the household not the other way around. Australian native birds that have been successfully exported and bred all over the world. In the wild they are green and yellow and out west you see flocks of thousands. They are beautiful to watch and very noisy you can hear them coming from a long way away and they look like a huge wave in the sky.

www.youtube.com/v/Pl9PTbtZvMw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0<

 

From Wikipedia:

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) (pron.: /ˈbʌdʒərɨɡɑr/), also known as common pet parakeet or shell parakeet and informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot. Budgerigars are the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus, and are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia where the species has survived harsh inland conditions for the last five million years.^[2] Budgerigars are naturally green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings, but have been bred in captivity with colouring in blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests. Budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, and ability to mimic human speech. The origin of the budgerigar’s name is unclear. The species was first recorded in 1805, and today is the most popular pet in the world after the domesticated dog and cat.^[3]

The budgerigar is closely related to the lories and the fig parrots.^[4][5][6][7] They are one of the parakeet species, a non-taxonomical term that refers to any of a number of small parrots with long, flat and tapered tails. In both captivity and the wild, budgerigars breed opportunistically and in pairs.

 

 

 

David Attenborough

David Attenborough 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Every day we sit and moan about the rubbish being passed off  as advertising, which the commercial channels would dearly  like us to watch. Personally, I tape all my favourite shows and fast forward the commercials. It really gets up my nose that a high percentage of them are for junk food when more than half of the country is overweight. No wonder these poor people can’t lose weight, when they have food constantly brought to their attention. Speaking of advertising, I notice that although the stations can’t advertise cigarettes as such, have you noticed how many characters are now smoking in films, and television series etc. How sneaky is that? Alcohol is also advertised like that with characters drinking as part of the story. What sort of messages is that sending to young children? I don’t mind anyone having a drink or killing themselves with cigarettes that is their choice. What I do mind is influencing young children so they are predisposed to those behaviours.  When we know the damage it is doing to society.

How refreshing would it be if more  commercials were like this one?  I am sure  there would be no complaints forthcoming.
This really is Magic.. Enjoy 

Sir David Attenborough does it again!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/auSo1MyWf8g?rel=0
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http://www.youtube.com/embed/auSo1MyWf8g?rel=0
>

The 10 Do’s And Don’ts Of Writing A Query Letter

Taken from Writer’s Digest,25th January 2013,  by Brian A. Klems:
Learning how to write a must-read query letter is nearly as important as writing a must-read manuscript—after all, an enticing query letter is what will get an agent to say, “Love your story. Send me the full manuscript.”

While query letters vary a little depending on who the agent is (and their guidelines) and what type of book you’re writing (novel, nonfiction, poetry, etc.), there are many elements that remain the same. That’s why I’ve developed this list of dos and don’ts to help you navigate what’s really important to include in your pitch and, also, what should be avoided at all costs. By sticking to these 10 specific dos and don’ts of writing a query letter, you’ll give yourself the best opportunity to find success and land an agent. Good luck!

When Writing a Query Letter Do …

Address the agent by name. When sending query letters to an agent, you always want to use his or her name. Generic letters addressed to “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Literary Agent” are much less likely to connect with someone at an agency. By using an agent’s name, you not only personalize your message but also show you’ve done a little research—and agents take writers who do research a little more seriously than writers who do not. Just make sure you spell the agent’s name correctly.

Cut right to the chase. Don’t waste the opening paragraph of your query letter introducing yourself. Save that for later. Much like a book, you want to hook that agent with your first sentence. The best way to do that is to introduce the hook of your manuscript right away.

Sell your manuscript. The summary of your book will ultimately make or break your chances of landing the agent. Write this section the same way you would write the copy that would appear on the back of the book jacket—one or two paragraphs that sell the heart and soul of your book. Remember, this is the most important part of your query. Spend the most time on it. (Looking for a professional editor to tell you if your summary is strong enough? I recommend a 2nd Draft Query Critique.)

Explain why you’ve chosen to query this specific agent. When salespeople go out to make a sale, they attempt to learn everything they can about a client before making their pitch. The more you know, the more likely you are to target the right person and find success. When pitching to an agent, it’s important you know a little bit about that agent—namely, what other books they represent. In your query, be sure to mention one or two of these books and briefly explain why you think your book is a good fit in that group.  (NOTE: If your book isn’t similar in genre or scope to others the agent represents, you’re likely pitching to the wrong agent.)

Mention your platform (if you have one). Have a blog that gets 20,000 pageviews a month? Mention it. Speak at writing conferences 10 or more times a year? Mention it. Have a Twitter following of more than 30,000 followers? Mention it. Basically, having a platform can only enhance your opportunity to reach an audience of readers—which enhances your opportunity to sell books. If an agent knows you have the resources to reach an audience on your own, it makes you a more attractive client. And if you don’t have a platform, don’t worry (and don’t mention it). But consider starting to build a platform now. (Here is a great resource on everything you need to build your writer platform.)

Study other successful query letters. Thousands of others have found success when querying agents. No need to reinvent the felt-tipped pen. Spend time studying actual query letter examples that other writers—many of whom had no previous writing credits or platform—have used to land their literary agents. Here are several query letter examples that may help.

When Writing a Query Letter Don’t …

Be arrogant. Never say anything in your query like “my manuscript is a bestseller in the making” or “you’d be lucky to represent my book.” (You laugh, but some people do this.) Save all bragging until the end, and even then it should be focused on meaningful writing credits and authoritative credentials (the final “don’t” on the list covers this).

Include your age. There is no real upside to this. In fact, it often can create unintentional bias and make it more difficult for you to sell your book.

Tell agents that you value their time. I learned this from my agent, Tina Wexler. Many writers waste a sentence or two in their query explaining that they know how busy the agent is and that they value their time. There’s no need for this, as agents are well aware of how busy they are. More important, though, is that this is wasted space in your query that could be used to give more information about (and sell the idea of) your manuscript.

Include writing credits that aren’t meaningful. Unless you’ve had books published through a publishing house before or have had work appear in something prestigious, like The New Yorker, it’s best to not say anything. Just stick to selling your story and your concept. Now, if you have other non-writing credentials that are valuable—such as you’re writing a nonfiction book on financial planning and you’ve spent 15 years working as a financial planner at a major financial firm—you want to mention that. Anything that makes you an authority on your topic is worth noting.

Amazing Helicopter Crash

English: Helicopter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Amazing helicopter crash. Note the bloke on the ground – just about directly underneath the aircraft – he pulls the lifting cable straight into the rotor (you see this more clearly in the close-up at the end). How he survived I don’t know, and the poor pilot he was lucky as well. Scary!!

Movie Magic

Capilano University making (movie) magic (Photo credit: BC Gov Photos)

 

This video is just amazing with the special effects they are able to create. You can never believe anything you see in a movie. It’s also a good reason to be sceptical of anything you see online.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/34678075?title=0
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3 Ways To Get Your Story Unstuck

English: Author James Rollins, 2008, Springfield New Zealand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Taken from Writer’s Digest Nov 15th 2012 Edition  by Kevin Kaiser.

It will happen eventually—that moment when you realize you’re bogged down in the muck of your story. You don’t know where to go next or what the character should do. The seed of doubt sprouts then, unless you’re careful, will take root and bloom into full-on writer’s block. Here are suggestions on how to stop it—and make your story even stronger in the process.

—by Kevin Kaiser

1. Give your readers what they want, but not what they expect.

If you find yourself stuck on a story point, ask yourself one simple question: “What would the reader expect to happen next?” After you consider the answer, do the exact opposite. Turn the entire thing on its head and see how it looks. You might not ultimately go with that solution, but by considering the problem from a different angle will often be just the thing you need to move forward.

2. Kill someone.

I met adventure author James Rollins at a conference several years ago. As we were talking about storytelling he dropped this helpful tip, which he said has gotten many writers, him included, unstuck.

So when in doubt, kill a character.

3. Meditate.

Seriously. Meditate. I’m not suggesting that you should sit in the lotus position and say om while an MP3 of Tibetan monks chanting plays in the background. You should, however, find a quiet place, free of distraction and breathe slowly and deeply. Daydream and let your mind wander. I’ve done it while on walks through my neighborhood and, along the way, have stumbled upon the solution to a story problem.

Stillness is the native language of creativity, yet it’s astonishing how we try to avoid silence. Our minds churn all the time, but it’s in the space between thoughts where ideas present themselves. They seem to come to us on their own in flashes or epiphanies. But you have to make room for silence.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Guest column by Kevin Kaiser, who is the author of @WriMo: A 30-Day Survival Guide for Writers, the profits of which go to support the future of NaNoWriMo. He blogs about how to write for a living without losing your soul. Follow @KevinSKaiser on Twitter.

The Dog Singer

Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph, “His Master’s Voice”, The Original RCA Music Puppy Dog Logo Symbol for Advertising (Photo credit: Beverly & Pack)

 

Imagine, you are a singer and you accompany yourself on the piano.
You have a small dog who is your constant companion and watches as you rehearse. Got the picture? Now, imagine that you must be away for a few hours, with the video camera on, and leave the dog alone at home. Here is what happened while you away.

 

Literally vs Figuratively

Writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was taken from Sydney Writers Centre’s Newsletter 18 Oct 2012

Of all the mistakes grammarians simply can’t abide, this one must be one of the worst. For some seeing the word “literally” misused is like
fingernails on a blackboard. And it’s an error we see all the
time.
Literally is an adverb meaning “in a literal
manner; word for word; to translate literally” or to take something in its literal sense. It should NOT be used when you actually mean
figuratively – as the writer in this example has done:

“I can assure you we are literally bending over backwards to take into account the concerns raised.”

Unless they really are bending over backwards (and that’s
a physical impossibility for most people), then there’s no need for the word literally to be here. What they actually mean is they are
figuratively bending over backwards, which means metaphorical or not
literal.

Here are some other examples of incorrect use of literally from
Contradictionary by Fritz Spiegl:  “Her eyes were literally glued to
mine.”
“… with his eyes he literally scoured the corners of the
cell.”
“Crabs and lobsters are literally found crawling round the
floor waiting for an order.”

I Am Back – Finally

Computer Desk and Hutch (Photo credit: Scott Beamer)

Yay! I am so happy to be back online. I missed you all so much.  I can’t wait to see what you have been up to while I have been away. I hope you have all been very good without me there to supervise you.

Update on the internet saga, you wouldn’t believe it , but after the technician replaced some lines etc and left yesterday, now the internet phone won’t work. I keep putting off ringing them as it gives me a headache trying to explain everything over the phone and it takes hours as they shift you from department to department.

Anyhow, enough of that, let’s have some fun instead. Here is a dog video I thought you might like.

http://www.wimp.com/throwstick/