Archive for the ‘Writing/Publishing’ Category
A guide …
TOP TEXTING FAVOURITES – ‘ZOMG’ from AAP via NZ Herald The top 25 “Teenglish” buzzwords for 2009, as nominated by 2000 users of the teen social networking site Habbo Hotel: 1 diss – Disrespect. 2 fail – Expression of disapproval for something or when someone does fail at something. Sometimes spelt with a ph and […]
A profile of John Gruber
If you’re a blogger, or interested, it’s worth reading this erudite guy’s thoughts … One of the things I like about John Gruber is his economy of language (‘not a single wasted word’) as I pointed out in my post last year Inspiring clarity of purpose from John Gruber. Mark Webster interviewed John Gruber for the […]
Uncovering the Scientology cult and its practices
Writing in The New Yorker, Lawrence Wright gives a comprehensive and illuminating account of the cult known as the Church of Scientology. His article is a follow-up the controversy surrounding writer/film director Paul Haggis’s public defection after 35 years as a Scientologist. I quoted Haggis’s resignation letter with its core message: ‘Silence is consent … […]
Lowest form of life?
Not a bad column from Michael Laws in the Sunday Star Times today. He’s worth reading when he writes about things he knows about… and there’s no question he knows about political ambition. Not that the game isn’t intoxicating. We both know that it is. Parliament and politics is its own world. And the only […]
Even more deceitful photoshopping
You may (or may not) recall my posts ‘More deceitful photoshopping‘ and ‘Re-touching to the point of distortion‘ which sought to highlight the distortion of ideas and images of modern-day ‘beauty’ — thus setting an unattainable target for young women wanting to groom themselves to be ‘better looking’. (Jenna Marbles’s ‘How to trick people into […]
Don McLean
There’s a very nice interview with singer-singwriter Don McLean over at the Sunday Star Times in the lead up to his NZ tour. I like what he says about not ‘explaining’ his lyrics after the fact… “Songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence.” I saw him in concert in Wellington […]
Anonymous comment vs IMPERSONATION
Regular readers of thePaepae.com (and my occasional posts at the PropertyTalk forum) will, I hope, have absorbed my views regarding participation in internet discussions, viz: I believe in speaking in my own name. From my observation, in many cases it seems the anonymity of some commenters on the web seems to encourage them to make […]
Leonard Cohen: A remarkable life. Indeed.
A dear friend gave me this terrific book for Christmas. I love and am inspired, challenged, chastened — simply moved by Leonard Cohen. (‘I know his melancholy is your joy, Peter, but can we change the music please?’ my beloved wife said to me once.) The book is a must-have for serious Cohen fans (and […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 6
Becky wakes Lilith turned back towards the woman and the child. She placed one hand on the boy and the other on the woman; a spark of static leapt from her fingers and into their sleeping forms. Imperceptibly the right hand of the boy began to move under his sheet, and so too did the […]
Perfect Symmetry, Episode 7
How was this possible? It was not – but then… Here in his hand was the proof. Its truth was unarguable. James was stunned. The dream with the Fleet Council Chairman Tilney: Tilney had been a friendly; gray-haired, middle-aged man in his seventies. He had an easy and genuine smile. So unlike what he thought […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 5
Woman and child There was a deception to this place that I was only becoming aware of. We had walked for sometime before I noticed. “Lilith,” I said, “we don’t seem to be getting very far.” Lilith turned her gorgeous face toward me. “Exnzpat, really — have you not been listening? I thought I explained; […]
George W Bush: plagiarist?
Oh dear me. I thought he was shallow, but a lazy plagiarist as well? George Bush Book ‘Decision Points’ Lifted From Advisers’ Books – Huffington Post. One funny example: From Decision Points, p. 143: “Later that day, Laura and I went to the Washington Hospital Center to visit victims from the Pentagon…I asked one if […]
