moon phases

Started this before change to "New Blogger", as backup in case of trouble with digiphoto blog "In a Small Dark Room", or rants & links blog "Hello Cruel World" . Useful - at one stage Dark Room was there, but like the astrophysical Dark Matter, we could't see it ... better now, but kept Just In Case.

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There is nothing. There is no God and no universe, there is only empty space, and in it a lost and homeless and wandering and companionless and indestructible Thought. And I am that thought. And God, and the Universe, and Time, and Life, and Death, and Joy and Sorrow and Pain only a grotesque and brutal dream, evolved from the frantic imagination of that same Thought.
Mark Twain (letter to Joseph Twichell after his wife's death)
[me, on a bad day]

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WRITER'S LINKS
Absolute Write Paypal donation button:

Absolute Write is one of the leading sites for information on writing and publishing, especially the scam versions thereof. It has a broad, deep online community with an enormous message base going back years. Now it needs help. See the details and discussion here
Preditors and Editors
Everything you wanted to know about literary agents
On the getting of agents
Writer Beware
Miss Snark
Writer's Net

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(and my Wish List)

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Words, words, words  

Are you aware of the Double-Tongued Dictionary, a lexicon of fringe English - www.doubletongued.org ?

(Seems to be associated with 'A Way with Words', about words, grammar, and language on USA public radio)

Labels: dictionaries, language

More ... [permalink] posted by Mez at 1:54 pm

 
A Looking Glass  
"Mirror" Reflects Slo Mo Images in Real Time
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/british_slomo_m.html

Picture House at Belsay Hall
http://www.pixelsumo.com/post/picture-house
This exhibition at Belsay Hall (near Newcastle, northern England) “sees the magnificent empty and austere nineteenth century Hall, fourteenth century castle and grade one listed gardens transformed by film directors, sound and music producers, performers, artists and fashion designers

As part of the English Heritage Picture House exhibition ( http://www.picturehousebelsay.co.uk/installations/artist.php?id=6&total=15 ), UVA created a video installation titled “Hereafter”. Hereafter uses a high speed camera to create a live history of the space, mixing previous recorded interactions, objects and people.
http://www.uva.co.uk/

More ... [permalink] posted by Mez at 10:51 am

 
Solar Systems – Straight & Heat Pump  
This is system I saw at Easter Show. It's a variation on the standard solar Hot Water System idea, rather than the 'heat pump' technology I'm quite keen on

Hills Endless Solar hot water system
www.endless-solar.com/faqs.htm

"Operates up to 40% more efficiently than traditional flat plate solar systems", "Perfect for cold, humid and hail-prone areas", "Easily fitted to most existing electric or instant gas systems"

Heat Pumps

Edwards Hot Water
www.edwards.com.au/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=882
http://www.qualitysolar.com.au/New/Edwards%20Heat%20Pump.htm


peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Edwards_Heat_Pump_for_Hot_Water
from the "Pure Energy Systems" wiki -- might have other info.

Solar Shop
www.solarshop.com.au/solar%20hot%20water%20page.htm
These have a range of different HWS (& other devices) to give you an idea of the variety of choices.
See the list at the bottom of the pages

"Solar Shop has a team of professional electricians as well as contractors who manufacture the renewable system in-house and perform the on site installations." -- www.solarshop.com.au/about%20us%20page.htm

These people have a range of systems:
Quantum Energy Technologies
www.quantum-energy.com.au

In General
'Be Green': www.begreen.com.au
Building – www.begreen.com.au/build_green.html
Investment – www.begreen.com.au/invest_green.html

Ecological Homes (Inner Sydney) – www.ecologicalhomes.com.au

Labels: home, reference, sustainability

More ... [permalink] posted by Mez at 9:33 am

 
Falling: Well or Badly?  
Obituaries: The Times; Toronto Star;
Chris Hitchens: Slate (YouTube) & a more general interview Late Night Live (MP3), (streaming)
I flashed back to my reactions on hearing that Ayatollah Khomeini had died: relief that he wouldn't be able to, personally, do more harmful & hateful things, then sadness that he wouldn't have any more chance to make any amendments that might help, because now there was no hope that he might help his followers change their minds.
OK that's a very faint hope indeed, but >0.

I recommend Lady Sisyphus' comment, which includes: "In the hearts and minds of folk who use Christianity as an excuse to hate, Jerry Falwell lives. He's arguably more useful dead, as his spirit lives on while his potential for embarrassing himself further has been curtailed."

Roy Zimmerman had an earlier musical comment.

Labels: obits, religion

More ... [permalink] posted by Mez at 1:10 pm

 
Shielded with smoke, bedazzled by mirrors  

Budget puts tax burden on average workers
Matt Wade Economics Writer
May 15, 2007
www.smh.com.au/ news/ national/ budget-puts-tax-burden-on-average-workers/ 2007/ 05/ 14/ 1178995079809.htmlor
www.smh.com.au/ articles/ 2007/ 05/ 14/ 1178995079809.html
or
www.smh.com.au/ text/ articles/ 2007/ 05/ 14/ 1178995079809.html (text-only version)

Labels: money, politics, society

More ... [permalink] posted by Mez at 10:38 pm