Sky Watch Friday # 1

Clouds in contact with the ground.

Sunset in Drammen

Have a great weekend and Happy Sky Watching........

Material Girl Hair

"We are living in a material world and I (and you!) am a material girl"

Try Madonna's hair straight or curly!


CLICK THE IMAGE TO TRY

CLICK THE IMAGE TO TRY

Atyllah does the 4 x 4 x Far Meme

Sigh. No one gets it do they? I mean, tag Atyllah the Hen for a meme and you must just expect trouble. So trouble, let me tell you is brewing. Last time it was Bonnie's fault, this time it's Laquet's fault. She's tagged Atyllah for a 4 x 4 x Far meme - and I've duly passed said meme on to Ms Chicken with Attitude. Read on at your peril. Me, I've got better things to do like working on a new manuscript. It's over to the alien Chicken.


Hmph, I don't know who she thinks she's calling Alien....
Greetings Earthlings. Ba-kaaaaak! What a corny line, only humans could have come up with it... So, Laquet, you've tagged me have you, dear girl. Such a sweetie. I do love a good meme. Right, let's see what you've sent my way...


Four jobs I've held:
Meet and Greet Officer at the Intergalactic Gateway Portal
Operative for Novapulse Intelligence
Secret Agent to the High Command Division of the Allied Federation of Intergalactic Associations reporting to Uber Agent the Grand High Cluck
Principal Co-Ordinator of Deep Dialogue of the Allied Federation of Intergalactic Associations

Four movies I've watched over and over again:
Crouching Turkey, Hidden Chicken
Chicken Run
Chicken Little
Cow and Chicken

Four places I've been:
Earth
Andromeda
Alpha Draconis
Arcturis

Four places I've lived:
Novapulse
England
South Africa
Andromeda

Four TV shows I watch:
Chicken Trek
ChickenChef
Universal Trekker
As Chickens Go By

Four radio shows I listen to:
I don't listen to radio shows. Radios are so primitive that in Novapulse the only place you'll find them is in The Museum of Ancient Artefacts. If we want entertainment of that nature, we tap into each other's thoughts.

Four things I look forward to:
Granny Were's Mopani Worm and Garlic Casserole
Memes from you lot
Channelings from dear Aunt Aggie
Debates with Agent Double Cluck

Four favourite foods:
Granny Were's Mopani Worm and Garlic Casserole
Corn Fritters
Corncake
Olive oil and garlic

Four places I'd rather be:
At a spa on Andromeda
Strolling on the beach of Arcturis' third moon
In front of the galactic vision screen so I can chuckle again and again at the antics of humanity, especially that really funny human called George
On a deep space mission

Four people I e-mail regularly:
Novapulsian chickens do not need email. We're telepathic.


Right, now, I see I'm suppose to tag four of you. But I tag ALL OF YOU! Yes, that's right, your eyes haven't gone squiffy, you're all tagged because if I take the title of this meme, 4 x 4 x Far - that puts every one of you on the tag list. So, what are you waiting for, get meming!

I'd say try not to do anything silly until we next meet, but I know you can't help yourselves. So over and out until next time.

Meet Bufo Pantherinis

So there I was, clambering out of the pool yesterday when I noticed something very small splashing unhappily. Being one to rescue moles, bugs, spiders and bees from the water, I hastened to the rescue of this small creature... And am pleased to introduce you to a toadlet, one Bufo Pantherinis, the highly endangered Western Leopard Toad.



Although Bufo P is small and innocent-looking at present, he or she will eventually grow to about 140mm - pretty much the size of my hand. At that size, let me assure you, Bufo P is hardly attractive, especially when it needs fishing out of the pool.



For now though he is decidedly cute. If he is a male, he will, come August and with maturity, start to "snore" in order to attract as many females to his side as possible. They, in turn, will swamp the roads as they hop to their heart's desire and signs will go up around the neighbourhood saying "Please drive carefully, Leopard Toads crossing".



Bufo P is, I should add, also rather poisonous on top of his head and smaller pets have been known to succumb after too close an encounter with him.



But for now, sitting on the edge of the pond, under the watchful gaze of Sau, one of the ancient Chinese sages (Fuk, Luk and Sau - the Three Star Gods), he seems fairly laid back - and not at all stressed out at having been handled. Actually, truth be told, Bufo was most reluctant to leave the confines of my hand. Given the peach held in the hands of Sau, perhaps Bufo P will be blessed with immortality...



I doubt he'll stay near the pond, but will hop off into the shrubs to earn his living. One just has to hope that the fine fellow below, a sparrowhawk, doesn't snap him up as a very small snack - though to be honest, Mr Sparrowhawk - yes, he is a male - is far more partial to doves and baby guinea fowl - on which note, I regret to inform you, that not a single guinea fowl chick that passed through this garden this summer made it to adulthood. I can only hope that the four who overnighted with us and were taken off to the World of Birds fared considerably better. It's a tough world out there, in case you didn't know.

So you wanna write, do you?

Two links for you to look at, if you're feeling inclined to write a story or two.

First, Jason of Clarity of the Night is hosting another of his 250 word competitions, this one entitled "Whispers, short fiction contest". As always, Jason's competition is based on a picture, in this case, the one below.


Jason's flash fiction competitions are becoming something of a legend in blogosphere and aside form exercising a bit of creative muscle, you also get to connect with lots of other bloggers. It's fun, give it a whirl. Rules can be found here. Deadline is 27th February 2008.

What me? Yes, of course I've written something - you can find it HERE. It's called The Oneness of the Infinitree.

And then I found this via Minx and Kat Campbell on Peach's site


Entitled "You're Not the Only One" it is about connecting bloggers and raising money for charity.

Peach says this on her blog:

We would like you to submit (to us at bloggersforcharity@yahoo.co.uk) a written piece about something you've been through from any aspect of your life that you want to share. It can literally be about anything: your relationships, your past, a road not taken, being a parent, an illness or your regrets etc. We've called it "You're Not The Only One" to reflect the camaraderie of blogging.

Proceeds will go to WARCHILD, a UK based charity that helps children all over the world. The book will be published through lulu.com. This is a no upfront fee internet publishing site who will take £4.70 per book sold if we make it no longer than 200 pages. We're pricing the book at £9 so £4.30 will go to straight to the charity. Because the cost lulu.com takes goes up according to how many pages we want published, we do have to stick to the 200 page limit so we can't guarantee you'll get your submission in for sure and the absolute maximum length for submission is 1500 words (but we’d rather not have too many at that length. In fact you may stand more chance if your piece is on the less wordy side).

Deadline is 29th February 2008. Rules can be found here.

So, what are you waiting for, get writing.

And no, I'm not sure yet what I'm going to submit to Peach - I might submit this, or I might write a new variation on the same theme.

Oscar Hairstyle Watch!

This year the Oscars are more exciting than ever - they almost didn't happen with the writer's strike.

In honor of the big night here are some favorite hairstyles from Oscars past...click to try any you like!

Diva Jennifer Lopez

CLICK TO TRY THE DIVA STYLE

Jennifer Lopez is set to give birth any day now and she's radiating more than just great hair!

She's re-decorated an entire hospital suite at North Shore Medical Center in Long Island and has demanded that no one enter it until she does...now that's a diva!

A Novel Update - it's only really the beginning

Wha-a!?... Aaaargh... Dazed, dopey and delirious. Believe it or believe it not, the edits (yes, there is more than one editing process) are finally finished. If I don't sound over the moon it's possibly because that's just the second leg of the journey done.

See, it goes like this. Write first draft of manuscript. Let it brew - go and read someone else's books. Come back and rework it. Get some constructive critique partners to take a look at Draft Two it for you. Read their comments and suggestions and work with them making relevant changes as you see fit. Read the manuscript. Read the manuscript out loud - you cannot believe how important this is and the difference it makes. Capture all changes. Read the manuscript again, try to chase away any gremlins that snuck in while you were drinking your tea. Take a day off and start to panic.

Now begins the next leg of the slog - and it's scary.

Write the synopsis. Not ten pages for your 90 000 word novel but about 500 to 700 words - no more than two pages - max - for your 300 page manuscript. Spend almost as much time writing your synopsis as you spent writing your novel. Work yourself into a lather, tell yourself not to panic. Go out to lunch, get out to lunch tattooed on your forehead. Yes, you may well start to go mad. Your synopsis, after all, has to capture your plot, reveal your characters and location, it must show motivation, conflict, turning point and resolution. And yes, in just a page or two.

Write a query letter. This is a nightmare come true. In just three paragraphs you have to persuade someone to request your full or partial manuscript. You get one shot. You have to hook them - your life, your writing career depends upon it. You have to tantalise them with your story and tell them a tiny bit about yourself - if it's relevant. Oh yes, and thank them for reading your letter. The query letter will go to those agents and publishers who are too busy to receive standard submissions.

Write a covering letter. This is as bad as the synopsis and the query letter. The covering letter will go to those agents and publishers who will accept a synopsis and three sample chapters - i.e. what is generally referred to as a standard submission. It is what it says it is, a covering letter giving a brief outline of your story, how long it is, what genre it is.

There are loads of resources on the internet - and there are examples - and you'll find that what one agent/publisher likes by way of an approach, another doesn't. For goodness sake, do your homework.

And this means...

Research and shortlist agents. Do they represent the sort of stuff you've written? Are they taking on new writers? Do you feel you can work with them? Thank the goddess for the internet or this would be a nigh well impossible task. Do they want a query letter or a standard submission? What are their submission guidelines? Read and re-read their websites.

Research and shortlist publishers. Do they publish the kind of stuff you've written? Do they want more of the same or have you just written something they're sick to death of seeing? If so, go out and shoot yourself now. Or put away your manuscript and start again. Do they only accept queries or will they accept a standard submission?

Re-read submission guidelines of your shortlisted agents and publishers - and follow the guidelines - that's why they're there. Adapt your synopsis, covering letter, query letter accordingly. Target your shortlisted agents and publishers and for goodness sake be good enough to let them know you're targeting more than one company. It's the polite thing to do - and if a particular agency or publisher says they prefer exclusive queries or submissions, pay heed.

Get posting, then sit back, have a stiff drink and start growing a thick skin.

And this, my dear blog friends is just the beginning.

Now, did I hear you say you wanted to be a writer? Why on earth would you want to do that?!? Especially when you read what writers earn...

Vårstemning i Drammen

Noen bilder vi tok på vår vei langs strand promenaden ved Drammens elva 17.februar.

Det var solskinn og 10 grader så vi fikk årets første vårfornemelser.

Speilbilde av by brua.

Perlemorskyer Gulskogen Gård

Perlemorskyer eller polarstratosfæriske skyer er skyer som blir danna om vinteren i stratosfæren i høgder på 15000 til 30000 m, og ligg dermed dobbelt så høgt som cirrusskyer i troposfæren.

Danning
Stratosfæren er svært tørr og skyer, som er svært vanleg i troposfæren, oppstår sjeldan. I den ekstremt kalde polarvinteren kan det dannast forskjellige stratosfæriske skyer, som blir klassifisert ut frå den fysiske tilstanden eller kjemiske samansettinga.
Perlemorskyer blir danna i svært låge temperatuar, under -78°C. Temperaturen kan bli så låg i den lågare stratosfæren om vinteren. I Antarktis kan temperaturar under -88°C ofte danne perlemorskyer type II. Slike låge temperaturar er ikkje så vanleg i Arktis. På den nordlege halvkula kan kraftig vind over fjell skape fjellbølgjer som forplantar seg oppover i atmosfæren. Der lufta stig mot bølgjetoppane blir lufta ekstra avkjølt, og den svært tørre lufta kan kondensere til skyer.
Sidan desse skyene blir danna svært høgt, kan sola skine på dei frå under horisonten. Solstrålene blir brote i iskrystallane på same måte som når lys går gjennom eit prisme, og eit flott fargespekter oppstår. Ein kan best sjå perlemorskyer når sola er like under horisonten.

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Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), also known as nacreous clouds, are clouds in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 metres (50,000–80,000 ft). They are implicated in the formation of ozone holes, their effects on ozone depletion arise because they support chemical reactions that produce active chlorine which catalyzes ozone destruction, and also because they remove gaseous nitric acid, perturbing nitrogen and chlorine cycles in a way which increases ozone destruction.

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