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• Bonkers - 1650 views on one image!
  by Jeff Rayner

  Can’t believe I have had over 1650 views and 72+ Favs in the past couple of days on this image !http://images-2.redbubble.com/img/art/siz…

  Can’t believe I have had over 1650 views and 72+ Favs in the past couple of days on this image – Feel very honored that so many people have taken the time to view it – Thanks to all this is a great community – Now to sell one! / Cheers / Jeff

• “Californian fog” featured in "California Sound" - Thanks!!
  by Gili Orr

  !http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/border:blackwithdetail/product:laminated-print/size:small/view:preview/1765150-2-californian-fog.j…

  Thank you so much – Kenny, Nancy and Suze!!

• The Soap Bubble Episode 3 - Bubblettes Exclusive
  by Andrew Walker

  I write this latest episode of the Soap Bubble from under the duvet, with one eye on the door just in case ‘they’ are out there and comin…

  I write this latest episode of the Soap Bubble from under the duvet, with one eye on the door just in case ‘they’ are out there and coming to get me. Over the past 4 months of my time at Red Bubble I have undertaken a secret mission on behalf of the senior management of the Community (the men in red) to uncover the dark and seedy secrets of Red Bubble. For the average everyday visitor Red Bubble would appear to be just a very well run, state of the art, art site (Peter the cheques in the post) but it is home to ‘groups!’ secret sects who gather under the auspices of sharing in one particular genre of what they call ‘art’. I have investigated several of these sects and found that quite a few of these are benign, okay so the HDR group are practicing alchemy, the sunrise and sunset group is filled with ancient sungod worshipers from around the world and the glamour group made me blush. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, for deep in the murky recesses of Red Bubble I have found a spectre-like informal group of shysters and ne’er-do-wells that go by the name of the ‘Bubblettes’ . This spectre-like group is not just content with being part of the Red Bubble fraternity and is continually attempting to take over the Red Bubble (much like Pinky and the Brain). The shadowy members of this group are believed to have strong links to organised crime groups around the world and it is believed that they are the masterminds behind some of the recent heinous and elaborate art crimes commited on Red Bubble. / I went deep undercover to infiltrate this group and found their lair to be a speakeasy hidden behind the front of the Red Bubble soapbox forum. This den of iniquity is run by the leader of the group Melissa ‘El Presidente’ Vowell aka Da Prez , a criminal mastermind of the highest order. She rules this corner of the Bubble with an iron fist using violence and intimidation to get her way. With the aid of her gang Artemis74 ‘Vice El Presidente’ aka the Banshee , Durotriges aka Da Bird , Jo ‘No Clothes’ O’Brien aka the Enforcer aka Little Miss Mayhem , Jared ‘Baby Face’ Poole and the lovely yet deadly gangsters moll Imogene Munday aka Jared’s little love machine . / I infiltrated their inner circle after showing my allegiance through a variety of different and quiet horrible ways and having to undergo an initiation ceremony where the head members of this gang painted themselves red and ran around naked, I discovered later that the naked part was Jo ‘No Clothes’ O’Brien’s idea and the others went along with it because they didn’t want to upset her. Once accepted by the inner circle my investigation has uncovered that this shadowy group has a far more sinister motive than that of a social group, akin to the evil SMERSH network from the James Bond documentaries on the telly, this group forces other Red Bubblers to buy their products . / I needed inside information into just what the ‘Bubblettes’ plan entailed, obviously the high council were unlikely to blab, I needed to talk to other sources, I soon discovered that this group was very powerful and none of the moderators would talk to me for fear of what would happen to them, their art and their families. For weeks I had no way forward on this story until I was accosted by a shadowy figure on page two of the featured portfolio, this husky voiced shadowy figure claimed to have been a member of the ‘Bubblettes’ but left following a difference of opinion with El Prez , since then he has had to change his avatar and is living in a constant state of fear that The Enforcer will be sent after him, the name of this informant has been muddled up to avoid identification we shall call this shadowy figure ‘Mrak Grmean’. His face hidden in a continuous shadow to avoid identification he went on to explain that the ‘Bubblettes’ are planning to use collaboration as a weapon, forcing other artists to work with them to make pictures. When they have entrapped these artists in their lair, using the opportunity of taking fantastic pictures as bait, they will inject them with a concentrated drug which they call ‘Scarlett washing up liquid’ this causes an immediate addiction to Red Bubble and once addicted these artists are then forced to join the ever swelling ranks of the ‘Bubblettes’ army. Investigations into this drug have revealed that it is indeed highly addictive and is a hard habit to break. / And so as I type this latest episode I realise that we are all in danger from this subversive group, I have spoken to the Red Bubble community managers only to find that they have a glazed look about them! They dribble a little, and claim that Melissa Vowell and Jo O’Brien are good for Red Bubble! I think that I am too late and they have all been knobbled by the ‘Bubblettes’ ! Who knows who is next? It may be you! It may be me! As I sit in the dark typing this journal entry I am aware that the forces of evil will not want this known to the rest of the Red Bubble. Wait, I hear footsteps approaching my door, the shuffling pad of bare feet on the wooden floor and a whisper of wind through silk… It’s No Clothes! The Enforcer she has been sent after me and what’s worse, she’s just outside my door! Oh dear god! Please someone help me!…I cower under the duvet… the door handle Oh no it’s turning… it’s… please note that all comments are completely fictitious and intended to be humorous. The journal relates to my interpretation of the art and to stories that I make up about the artist as a bubble characters rather than focusing on the real people behind the art PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EPISODES FOLLOW ON FROM EACH OTHER IN A SOAP OPERA STYLE. WHILST EACH EPISODE SHOULD BE A STORY IN ITSELF IT IS HOPED THEY THREAD TOGETHER. THERE ARE MORE EPISODES TO READ, JUST CLICK HERE! SOAP BUBBLE

• Have a look at this scam
  by Darren Sharp

  Just looked at my email and found this!!! Hello and Goodday, / My name is Bisi Akande, I work in a bank in Lagos-Nigeria and recently, ...

  Just looked at my email and found this!!! Hello and Goodday, / My name is Bisi Akande, I work in a bank in Lagos-Nigeria and recently, I discovered $11million USD in a Bank dormant account belonging to one late Mark Davidson from USA. This man was certified dead in a plane crash some 5years ago and till now no trace or information about his next of kin or relations. / I am looking for a trusted person who I can plan a deal with, I will present you to the bank as the Next of kin or relation to late Mark Davidson for the claim of this funds, so that we will share the money when it has been successfully transfered to you. I will like you to know that you are covered by every breach of the law.. I will also like you to know that all neccessary arrangement to get this funds transferred will be arrainged by the lawyer who will be standing on your behalf in the bank. Lastly, I will like you to get back to me via my email for more details if you know you are capable of handling this transaction. my email: missbisiakande@yahoo.com Your’s Sincerely, / Miss. Bisi Akande Not sure what i am going to do with it yet but geez i laughed, will probably let the police know!!!!

• Shark Sighting
  by Naomi Frost

  I took Harrison to the beach with me this avo. He likes to dig for buried treasure while I take photos. Today I was snapping away whe…

  I took Harrison to the beach with me this avo. He likes to dig for buried treasure while I take photos. Today I was snapping away when I noticed 2 surfers getting out of the water and they climbed up onto some rocks right next to me and started pointing out into the water. Turns out they’d gotten out because there was a shark. We’ve had heaps of newspaper reports and news coverage about the increase in sharks on the coast lately but I never thought I’d actually see one. It must have been a big bugger too because it’s fin was clearly visible through the waves. I managed to get a couple of shots off before it disappeared. We hung around for a while after but didn’t see it again. I think the surfers went home to a nice cold beer. / / Sorry about the quality of the pic – it’s so small you can’t see much – but it was definately a shark….

• Featured!!! Three paintings - Oh WoW!
  by Avril Brand

  Thank you, Oil Paintings Group! / I am spinning like a dog trying to catch it’s tail! Z…

  Thank you, Oil Paintings Group! / I am spinning like a dog trying to catch it’s tail! Zebra Stallions, Survivors and Danger in the Dust are all featured at the same time! Wheeeee… Danger in the Dust / Survivors / Zebra Stallions / /

• Australia to join China, Burma and Saudi Arabia in censoring Internet
  by Sleek Images

  In case you hadn’t heard, Stephen Conroy (ALP’s minister for broadband) is proposing mandatory filtering of the Internet by all Australia…

  In case you hadn’t heard, Stephen Conroy (ALP’s minister for broadband) is proposing mandatory filtering of the Internet by all Australian ISPs, to ensure that children do not see “online pornography” or other “inappropriate content”. If you don’t want your internet feed filtered, then users will need to opt out of the “service”. Read more about it here / A few questions for us all to consider if this goes ahead unopposed: Who will decide what is “pornography” and “inappropriate content”? How will we know what is on the list? If a site contains one piece of “inappropriate content” will the whole site be filtered? If a site is incorrectly put on the filter list – what is the appeals process? Why has this become an opt-out system when it was clearly stated that it would be an opt-in system before the election? Will this really stop children seeing inappropriate content? or will it make parents lazy? How will this filter (aka censorship) affect the speed of the internet? How will the government guard against mis-use of this filter? How long before this morphs into George Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth”? While no-one is advocating that children be exposed to unsuitable material, this scheme is highly impractical and won’t work anywhere near 100%. / In addition, the costs of such a system will be high and will undoubtedly be passed on to the consumer… Welcome to the Nanny State! I would urge people to protest against this scheme at every opportunity… / If you’re on Facebook, then you can join this group

• how dangerous is your kitchen?
  by citizen "KHAN"

  things are going well in the ‘lev tolstoi experience’. the soups are authentic and the conversation revolves mainly about the good old…

  things are going well in the ‘lev tolstoi experience’. the soups are authentic and the conversation revolves mainly about the good old days when a guy called stalin sorted everyone out, and miracles still happened at the local tuberculosis hospital. but there was a disturbing development in the kitchen over the weekend. basically, its a chicken. a sick chicken. its being incubated in the kitchen. natural place to isolate it from its dozen brethren, (sistren?) and warm it back to health. its put me right off sex. been there for two days. shits in its food, on the table. beaks the biscuits. have to push past it to get to the fridge. considering the whole ‘bird flu paranoia’ thing, you’d think i’m joking. i’m not. and if i said they culled a bunch of super-fluous (ha fucking ha. thankyou) chickens 20 km from here last year, after they were infected with the h5n1 strain by migrating fowl, you’d say ‘you’re joking’. i’m not. (zhirinovski, leader of the right-wing LDPR, made a memorable speech in parliament about how every russian man should do his duty, be drafted into the army, sent to the western borders, issued with a kalishnikov and shoot migrating birds as they crossed the border to protect the motherland. zhirinovski regularly comes third in presidential polls.) if i said i’ve spent a week losing kilograms to a particulalry vicious and doubtlessly, slavic strain of gastric flu you’d say ‘you’re joking’. i’m not. i understand that to open the door or the window is to invite escape, but not to means the temperature in here is pushing thirty and there’s been no fresh air for days. i’m not a biologist, or even a microbiologist, but i remember how those funny little trays of jelly they gave us at school not only tasted foul, but loved to sprout all kinds of wierd green shit when you kept them a bit warmer than normal. so our kitchen has, potentially, every ingredient needed to create a new strain of human culling super-flu. is this where it startws? is this where it ends? i am typing now and the fucking thing is next to my feet. but baba tanya is just doing nothing unusual- she’s just doing what any babushka would do with a chilly clucker- and that begs the question, ‘how the fuck is this widely anticiapted mutant strain of bird flu not going to develop if chicken-friendly acts of this level of intimacy are going on all the time, possibly everywhere, and possibly at a more intimate level’. isn’t it getting a bit of a chance that it doesn’t really need?

• Connotation the Art - Dangerous but Seductive
  by G. Merrick Justice

  Language is as much an art-form as any other, and one important quality of any art is its conveyance of feelings and emotions. In literar…

  Language is as much an art-form as any other, and one important quality of any art is its conveyance of feelings and emotions. In literary terms however, it is not the brush stroke or chord progression that does the ‘conveying’ but instead the structure and the connotation of what is written. Any single incident on paper can be ‘colored’ or ‘weighted’ in many different ways, all according to the views of the one relaying it. Just like in visual art, this subjection is passed on to the reader. Now, this ability is what gives any writer personal flair – the ability to express views on paper as easily as in speech – and is greatly encouraged in creative writing situations. Such freedoms become dangerous, however, when applied to factual reporting, in such cases as science, history, and ideal journalism, where objectivity on the part of the author is critical. It is easy enough for a seasoned linguist to sway the reader’s viewpoint in subversive ways while still sticking to fact, however. This is illustrated quite effectively in Pattie Cowell’s “Less False Stories: Teaching Comparative Early American Literatures.” Many students have heard the story of how Columbus discovered America, and owing to how the description reads in history books, it is little wonder good old Chris has a namesake Holiday. See, the word discovered is most often been used for the more miraculous findings: the discovery of Penicillin, will we discover life on Mars, Einstein discovered a theory of relativity, and so on. The word discover itself really just means ‘to come across’ or ‘to find’, but because of the triumphant sounding nature of the word and more so its long history of use for events of a positive connotation, it makes what Columbus did feel worthy of celebration. Had Penicillin been noticed, humans endeavored to bump into life on Mars, or Einstein worked out his theory, the face of history would appear most homely and blunted of affect. Connotation of words goes beyond positives and negatives into a whole range of adjectives which change the way one understands what they read. Using the same excerpt, Columbus finding America could have been reworded “Columbus stumbled on the Bahamas.” Beyond just being more accurate of location, the word stumbled substituted for “found” makes Columbus look like a bumbling oaf with no more than a measure of dumb luck. One stumbles over a garden hose, or stumbles over the definition of a difficult word, but no one ever had a holiday named after them because they stumbled upon anything. It’s just not heroic. Had history written that Columbus “_stumbled_ upon the land which would later be called America”, credit for the country most certainly would have gone to one of the other more epic figures of early Western-world exploration. The excerpt further displays how fact can be used to change the exact definition of a verb while remaining in the pink before connotation is then utilized to truly make a picture-painting statement out of the simple blank canvass. Invasion and conquest are words which bring to mind injustice, brutality, and mass murder, yet they equally fit into the incident of Columbus’ ‘finding.’ Examples include, “Columbus invaded the Americas“ or “the New World was Columbus’ crowning conquest_” both of which vilify the explorer rather than glorify him. Attila the Hun was an _invader. Hitler’s conquest was the destruction of all minorities. History surely supports Columbus being an equally deplorable leader, but it’s all in the view of the reader vis-à-vis the writer. Whether one wishes to elevate a subject as holy, condemn a subject as taboo, poke fun at something, present something most stoically, make a martyr, or misanthrope, misogynist, or mongrel, one needs but the right words and someone to read them. In the art-form of written word, the greatest impact is in the innocent subtly of correct connotation.

• I've arrived safely in Rome
  by Mui-Ling Teh

  Just thought I’d send a quick shout saying I’ve arrived in Rome yesterday safely. Hehe, this art community is like a family; my paren…

  Just thought I’d send a quick shout saying I’ve arrived in Rome yesterday safely. Hehe, this art community is like a family; my parents had asked me to e-mail them ASAP once I arrived in Rome. My landlady has asked me to be very careful because I’m very young and Italy can be dangerous (I wonder if she knows how old I really am – I’m a shorty so I tend to look younger than my actual age). She tells me I should get a cell phone so I can call her if I’m in trouble outside, and to never come back home by myself late at night (although considering the nature of my program of study and where I’m living, I doubt I can avoid that) etc. etc… I have a lot on my plate now and need time to get used to living here; but for now I thought I should also inform my RB “family” that I have arrived safely; and thanks to all of you who bid me your farewell wishes :) Ciao!

• From The Front Lines, Fire Update
  by Barbara Sparhawk

  I just spent the day, about 6 hours, in Cachagua helping friends clear the land around their houses. Big gasoline weed whacker strapped t…

  I just spent the day, about 6 hours, in Cachagua helping friends clear the land around their houses. Big gasoline weed whacker strapped to a harness around my chest (NOT designed for anyone with boobs). I wore sunglasses but refused the helmet goggle combo as too sissy. We cleared hillsides and embankments and the sides of the dirt road up, and everything we could near the house. It’s in pretty good shape (unlike me!) Lord but it’s dry land. I hosed down everything within about fifty feet of the house. The sky’s red, but there’s not really smoke in the air, you just know something’s going on. / We were losing sight of one low gentle mountain range after another to smoke out there. You can normally see about five or six in a row. The fire is definitely closing in, you could see plumes of black smoke on top of the most distant ridge. / My friend’s husband is a musician, he’s off playing a gig in Big Sur today! OMG don’t get me started about husbands. There were three of us girls there, and said in folklore to come stories will be told and songs written about the pioneer women who saved California! We were drinking ice tea an gin. / It all felt like the first time I was suited up and putting out a barn fire in Virginia, part of the Volunteer Blue Ridge Firefighters, and tearing off all the sweaty suit and helmet and dropping the oxygen and WAHOOOO!! I was screaming oh my God this is fantastic! I want to get laid and drink beer!!! I know exactly how you guys feel! Fortunately none of the muffin baking wives were within range. Nobody’s ever known what the hell to do with me. / Well, it was an odd experience. I packed up two antique fiddles that hadn’t fitted in the first run, all of my friend’s cashmere sweaters and clothes, a neighbor’s weed whacker and my shovels and rakes. Finally home and showered. / You just don’t know, is it an emergency or will it pass you by. Will you still have a house on Monday and feel foolish for moving all you love out of range. We’ll see. I’ll listen for updates. / Pray for heavy rain! Looks like the thunder storms are passing. No lightning, but no water either. The closest fire’s only 3 percent contained. Less than 5 miles from the Cachagua country store. / My neighborhood’s still a good distance, no sense of danger here at all it’s all burning inland and south, I’m close to the Carmel River. / Will keep posting updates. / My love to you all for your good wishes and prayers. / Barbara

• Massive amounts of snow...
  by Michelle Hitt

  It’s very cold. I could hardly feel my hands on my way home from work. Also, it is, as Grammy would say, Snowing to Beat the Band...

  It’s very cold. I could hardly feel my hands on my way home from work. Also, it is, as Grammy would say, Snowing to Beat the Band outside! Speaking of which, I got a warning of Danger, Falling Snow on my way home. Yeah. No kidding. Anywho, after snapping a few pictures of our Snow Season I drove on in Solitude – lonesome as a leaf without a tree. I got home and sat here in Solitude as well. That is, until I logged on to Yahoo messenger and talked to Ozjami , and MSN messenger to talk to Googa . Oh well! Well, in case I forget to send Season’s Greetings your way in a timely fashion, I wish Happy Holidays to you all.

• Photography is dangerous!
  by Karen Wade

  Special little me… Went up to Antelope Island again to take my friends engagement pictures.. well I forgot that there is a bit of a hik…

  Special little me… Went up to Antelope Island again to take my friends engagement pictures.. well I forgot that there is a bit of a hike and I wore flip flops.. Fell on my rear end down half the mountain. Now I have a bruise the size of Texas and I cant sit down :( At least I got a good laugh at myself. Damn Flip Flops.

• Featured Work “Pile Driver” was featured in the group Rural America
  by photokarazy

  Thank you Rural America for featuring my work!!! / !http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/border:blackwithdetail/product:laminated-print…

  Thank you Rural America for featuring my work!!! /

• American birds, 178 species, are in danger of disappearing
  by Dave Sandersfeld

  Flight risk: more of America’s birds are in danger / Some 178 species are endangered or in decline, new list says. That’s up 11 percent fr…

  Flight risk: more of America’s birds are in danger / Some 178 species are endangered or in decline, new list says. That’s up 11 percent from five years ago. / By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor / from the November 30, 2007 edition – http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1130/p02s01-usgn.html With birds increasingly hammered by climate change, habitat loss, and a host of other threats, the list of US species in dire trouble is getting longer. / Unlike many still common “backyard bird” species whose notable declines were documented in a national study this spring, the much-less familiar species on the new “2007 WatchList for US Birds” released yesterday are considered in danger of extinction or in very serious decline. Some 178 species made this year’s watch list, up 11 percent from five years ago. / The masked booby, wandering tattler, and Mexican chickadee are among 12 new species added to the US watch list, which is compiled every five years by the National Audubon Society in New York and the American Bird Conservancy in Washington, both of which are conservation groups. / “The watch list sounds a real warning,” said David Pashley, director of conservation programs for the American Bird Conservancy and a coauthor of the list, in a statement. / Many consider the ultimate warning list to be the federal Endangered Species list maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which provides taxpayer-funded recovery plans and habitat protection. But with federal listing rates at historic lows, the new watch list functions as the next best “call to action” to highlight troubled species and halt their decline before it worsens, experts say. / Take, for instance, the saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow, which is restricted to a narrow band of salt marsh along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. On one side of the marsh is intense human development and on the other the threat of rising sea levels. Even a one-foot rise in sea level due to global warming would be devastating to the sparrow. / The black-capped vireo in central Texas remains on the list, its slender population threatened by development and the nest parasitism of the brown-headed cowbird. / Yet there is some good news included in the watch list’s bird call to arms: 27 species are coming off the list this year – a number of those because of population increases due to habitat protection and other conservation efforts, experts say. / “Certainly some bird species are doing better, and their absence from this new list reflects that,” says Gregory Butcher, director of bird conservation for the National Audubon Society. / Among those soaring off the list are the ferruginous hawk, Wilson’s phalarope, the worm-eating warbler, and the black oystercatcher, all of which are doing better than they were just five years ago thanks to focused attention, Dr. Butcher says. The Wilson’s phalarope, for instance, nests in sloughs of North Dakota where conservation work for waterfowl also helped it recover. / In a few cases, studies found bird populations to be healthier than earlier believed, such as with the McCown’s longspur. The small ground-feeding bird, whose warbling call used to be common on the northwestern Great Plains, was listed in the “red” category of the 2002 WatchList – in imminent danger of extinction – but is not listed this time. A closer analysis finds that it is more widely distributed than earlier believed. / Despite continuing growth in the number of bird species in trouble, this year has been notable for some successes. In June, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list – a victory for the federal law that protected it during recovery. / Add the whooping crane, too. While still listed as endangered, the species has rebounded from the brink of extinction – with just a few dozen left – to more than 200 today. / Even so, many species on the watch list should be federally listed as endangered, a protection Butcher says is being more widely recognized for its positive impact. / “The bald eagle, peregrine falcon, the California condor, and the whooping crane all used to be on the endangered list at one time but are doing really well now,” he says. “If we take good care of these birds, they can rebound.” / Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and related links / The whooping crane’s numbers grew from a few dozen to more than 200 today. / RYA HAGERTY/AUDUBON SOCIETY / The saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow is listed as endangered on the new 2007 WatchList. / WOLFANG WANDER/AUDUBON SOCIETY / The black-capped vireo is listed as endangered on the new 2007 WatchList. / AUDUBON SOCIETY

• It’s a Privilege to Stop at Traffic Lights
  by avionz

  / This was not easy to write. A lot has been left out. / / Joanna loves New Zealand . The beauty of the country and relaxed way of li…

  / This was not easy to write. A lot has been left out. / / Joanna loves New Zealand . The beauty of the country and relaxed way of life are good enough reasons but it is the small things which most New Zealanders wouldn’t even register that makes her want to stay; the small things which reflect the country’s relative safety. / / It has taken her eight years to really feel settled here but now she won’t consider even a short visit to her place of birth. / / It wasn’t one experience that persuaded her to leave her family and friends, departing almost penniless for unfamiliar shores. A combination of life-threatening events persuaded her to take her traumatised children and leave forever. / / Joanna’s first brush with violence happened at home in an exclusive suburb which was considered safe in the early 1990s. When the massive stranger appeared at her front door one morning, Joanna did not consider herself to be in danger and answered his knock. He politely asked if she could give him a job. Her equally polite refusal brought an immediate response. Putting his foot inside the door, the man lunged forward and grasped her shoulder. / / Years later, describing this incident – and the many other subsequent violent threats to her- Joanna can vividly recall the scene and her reactions. She describes the cloudless day and the smell of her roses. She vividly recalls the man’s shiny skin and his smile. Joanna recalls the instant feeling of calm that overcame her, as if she were a tiny roebuck overcome by a lioness, beyond fear but resigned and totally aware of her vulnerability. / / In this first instance, the man got no further than her shoulder. Joanna’s eyes shine as she describes the speed of her German Shepherd, Jago. The dog launched himself from behind her and hit the man chest high, knocking him to the floor. Within seconds, the attacker managed to get to his feet and run off. She did not send the dog after him. / / Now a New Zealand citizen, Joanna and her sons sometimes play a little ritual when they go on shopping expeditions. They recite a litany of “freedoms” when exiting the supermarket. / / “We can carry our bags to the car without looking over our shoulders. / We can use an ATM without being mugged. / That man hasn’t got a knife. / Look, I am wearing jewelry. / We can stop at a red light.” / / / “Coming home after shopping was always scary. Even though the house was locked and security systems activated, I would always feel uneasy until I had checked each room and possible hiding place. Once I arrived home and the front door was slightly ajar. There was a blood trail inside. It went along the passage and into the master bedroom. We never discovered how it came to be there. / A friend of mine was alone in a locked house. Three men broke in through the roof. My friend jumped out the window of a second storey bedroom, breaking her leg. The intruders raped and stabbed her, leaving her for her husband to find, critically injured and permanently traumatized.” / / Ex-patriots regard our reactions to violent crime in a bemused way. Murders or abductions in New Zealand are national news. Over twenty thousand murders a year in their country of birth dwarf our statistics. Even the road toll is mind-boggling. Easter weekend realised 300 road fatalities. / / Joanna’s passion for animals drove her to be a vet nurse in her country of birth and she now works with animals in New Zealand , in arguably one of this country’s most dangerous occupations. Her colleagues sometimes question her willingness to approach P-addled gang members who have eviscerated their pit bulls, or violent farmers who have neglected their herds to the point of starvation. Recounting her previous experiences with knife and gun-wielding men, Joanna is aware of the danger but feels confident in her ability to sense when a situation is too dangerous and in her interpersonal skills when confronted. She has become much more aware since that day when Jago saved her. / / Once more she becomes preternaturally calm. / / “ I know I am deeply angry at these people for threatening me but I remain quiet. My senses become acute and I find the right words. Of course, if I feel bad vibes I will not enter a property without backup.” / / New Zealand ’s relatively safe environment did not impact on her immediately. It took three years before Joanna relaxed enough to let her teenage daughter share a taxi to town with friends. She would not let her younger children walk by themselves the two hundred metres to the corner dairy. Once, at an airport in her homeland, when she was momentarily distracted, her two-year-old son was taken by the hand and led away. Fortunately Joanna spotted the pair and was able to snatch her son back. From then on, for outings, the little boy was kept on a lead. Abductions of children are not rare and the reasons for them are of nightmare material. Young boys are in high demand. Their penises are removed for medicine. Men with AIDS are under the impression that having sex with babies will provide a cure. Joanna recounts a story of a friend’s twelve-year-old who was abducted and never seen again. / / Muggings are routine, almost expected; certainly not remarkable. Joanna’s mugging was in a busy shopping mall. She was hit from behind and knocked to the ground. Shoppers threaded their way around her and her children as money was taken. When it was over, after a few minutes of dazed inaction, still unaided, she managed to get up and move away, thankful that she had not worn her wedding ring and therefore still had all her fingers. / / For Kiwis, the Sunday drive in the country is taken for granted. Such an excursion would not be have been considered, unless a group of friends decided to form a convoy. / One windy night in the Waikato , I was driving with Joanna when a work gang flagged us down. A tree had blown across the road and the friendly road worker gave us advice on the appropriate detour. Joanna admitted later that she would have found it difficult to stop and wind her window down to talk to the man. / / Arriving home after work necessitated a close scrutiny of bushes by the gate before leaving the relative safety of the car. / / Nights in her home country’s capital were times of unease. Even the feel of the .38 under the pillow offered little comfort. / / “It was a big gun, heavy. It was hard to hold but anything smaller would not have stopped a big man.” / / Houses are fortresses. Armed guards, dogs, massive, double-glazed windows with bars and lockable, security bedroom doors are features of contemporary town houses. / / I have met several immigrants. Each one has confirmed Joanna’s description of beautiful scenery and terrifying humanity. / / Joanna has always had an affinity for animals. She has developed bonds with many, not the least with Jago. She has a seemingly endless store of horror tales of unimaginable cruelty from her time as a vet nurse. Ritualistic torture was commonplace.. There is one particular memory that is too horrific to recount, even after ten years. Often her only recourse was euthanasia, sometimes in the presence of the perpetrator. / / Her compassion for animals drove Joanna to another country to assist with the release and rehabilitation of bears, permanently crushed into immobility in small cages, teeth and claws removed, with catheters inserted into their gall bladders for the extraction of bile. On arrival, airport police berated her for hours, yelling into her face. Joanna did not understand a word but it didn’t require a great deal of insight to guess the reason for their anger. Her ability to remain calm and quiet was, once more, a boon. Eventually, her passport was thrown at her. The full story of her work with bears and the brave people who continue to do so can be told at a later date. / / I am not writing this to criticise any other country. Cruelty can be found everywhere. So can compassion and great kindness. It is just that I am profoundly grateful to be living in New Zealand . It has beauty, in nature and in its people. Let us preserve that ,so we don’t ever have to suffer experiences such as Joanna’s.

• Dangerous encounter
  by JayVee

  Last Monday I went to the Gold Coast hinterland to pay the Purlingbrook Falls a visit, thought it would be good after all the rain of lat…

  Last Monday I went to the Gold Coast hinterland to pay the Purlingbrook Falls a visit, thought it would be good after all the rain of lately and I wasn’t disappointed. / On the way we had two encounters with snakes. The first one was crawling over the road, a big two and a half meter long Carpet snake which is not a dangerous species although it can give a nasty bite. Carpet snake 1 / Carpet snake 2 second one was a Common Tiger snake which is poisonous so I had to be very careful. common Tiger snake / Coincidentally I heard on the news yesterday that someone was bitten by a Red Belly Black snake in the same area. That one is highly poisonous and can kill.

• novel NOISE, by BD Sparhawk. Chapter 3 - Coney Heats Up
  by Barbara Sparhawk

  David Harris asked …..and okay, for all those interested in the continuing saga started with the portrait of Larry I posted yesterday…..

  David Harris asked …..and okay, for all those interested in the continuing saga started with the portrait of Larry I posted yesterday….here ya go! The third chapter and a synopsis are up on my writing page. As you’ll see, the names are changed to protect the guilty, but of the two main characters, Lucien and Bijou, it’s pretty easy to tell who’s who. I’d love to know what you think, and for those of you with the interest and patience to read it, thanks for doing so. And thank you especially David, for the shove. / Best wishes to you all, / Barbara

• At The Lights
  by Hayley Lees

  For a while there I thought you’d never come around / Glowering down at us, / All standing together, waiting. / Waiting for the cardinal aut…

  For a while there I thought you’d never come around / Glowering down at us, / All standing together, waiting. / Waiting for the cardinal authority to change into a green mandate There are always a few who’ll challenge you, / The young and the hurried. / J-walkers. A couple of indecisive ones totter, cautiously / On the edge. / They look for signs of danger / Look left, look right, look left again. / But resign themselves back to the safety of the curb. And we wait.

• Urgent and Vital! Dodgy e-mails doing rounds be careful....
  by anaisnais

  2 days ago, I recieved an e-mail of a woman whos husband was said to have worked for Texaco/Chevron, who died and left his family and hug…

  2 days ago, I recieved an e-mail of a woman whos husband was said to have worked for Texaco/Chevron, who died and left his family and huge amount ofmoney around her. She goes on to say where she is in hospital, what is wrong and that she is dying – can;t talk. Her money tied in a Luxembourg bank and she practically begging me as recipient and knowing of my ways to act as trustee for monies and ensure it goes to churchesand refugees around the world not in family. She gives an address and phone number thugh she can’t speak…lol. ?? Yet the 2 addresses given/used appear to be genuine… her name supposedly Mrs Victoria Paxton, a christian lady by all accounts… .I dumped it and suggest if you get this you do the sme…theres many a hacker waiting on acts of kindness t access your detail…report it as phishing for protection of all and help spread word to save heartache, if its to good to ber true it probably is!!! Be careful folks and stay safe…enquire before opening or leave it closed. Even if you know a person if you are not expecting something check with issuer first…at all costs. Better to be safe than sorry!!

• Rainy Days
  by Karly Picker

  It is horrible and rainy here, the creeks are all flooded, below my house I have what looks like a dam- but it normally just a big river …

  It is horrible and rainy here, the creeks are all flooded, below my house I have what looks like a dam- but it normally just a big river flat! I can’t complain though- there is nothing better than climbing into a warm bed at night listening to the rain on a tin roof. / But… I just ducked out to Dangar Falls, just outside of Armidale in my lunch break to get a shot of the waterfall. I am now back- soaking wet at my desk with a heater at my feet! The most amazing thing was the noise….. so the photos don’t do it justice. But, along with rain on a tin roof, no matter how many times things happen, or how often you see it, I will always appreciate a waterfall, a sunrise, watching the leaves change colour on the same trees year after year!! / I have put a pic of Dangar Falls on my page, it truely is an amazing sight! / Best be getting back to work!

• Danger Art
  by starvinartist

  Art is dangerous. / It is one of it’s attractions: / when it ceases to be dangerous / you don’t want it. / - Duke Ellington - / !http://i59.ph…

  Art is dangerous. / It is one of it’s attractions: / when it ceases to be dangerous / you don’t want it. / - Duke Ellington - /

• Sometimes
  by Adrena87

  Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I find a part of me / A lost piece floating across your smile / Dancing in my heart / Filling my soul ...

  Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I find a part of me / A lost piece floating across your smile / Dancing in my heart / Filling my soul / Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I find peaceful tranquility / Warming my heart / Relieving my fears / Clearing my thoughts / Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I find danger / Lurking deep below your surface / Bringing to me nervous anxiety / Filling me with uncertainty / Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I lose a part of me

• Someone bought a canvas print of my Danger Zone!
  by Lee Trujillo

  WOOHOO! Always makes me happy when someone purchases my prints. Danger Zone...

  WOOHOO! Always makes me happy when someone purchases my prints. Danger Zone Thank you unknown buyer! Lee