Sunday, January 08, 2006



Don't ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-Howard Thurman

I came alive on Saturday night, last night (first night), with Lauren at the Iceberg club. What a great place to share stories with Ken Spears, Keith Posha Leslie, Ron Lofty Petrie, Bruce Bailey, Brat Payne, Angus Graham, Alan Gow and so on ... Some of the stories stretch back to depression years of 1929. Some represent family dynasties three generations of Icebergs such as Gow and Graham. Posha makes a great point in a book that every child in Australia should read Bondi Icebergs: An Australian Icon.' When people find out you are an Iceberg the most common question they ask is 'Why do you do it? I like to reply, 'Why don't you do it? You are more than welcome to join us ... You can tell what people are thinking - It is too dam cold for swimming or They are bloody idiots! Small but determined group achieve the minimum 75 swims over 5 seasons. These people are the real ICEBERGS
Through my book I like to spread the word about unusual and less well known things about the Slavic traditions. As a child, I found old tales and obscure traditions fascinating. To be a swimmer at the Iceberg at Bondi is a great honour just as it was a great priviledge back in the Central European High Tatra Mountains to be part of the folkloric jouney as a dancer, singer, whistler at Tatranka folkloric group.
Swirly girl’s journey as an artist has been like a trek through a jungle - beautiful, exotic, and frightening at times. Some days are peaceful and full of light, other days feel like nothing but a series of slips and stumbles. Peculiar sights, sounds and creatures have kept me company as I have wandered through strange lands with no map or compass. I am still on this journey, and it continues to take me to fascinating places. Come take a walk with me Smith wins Whitbread novel prize

Art of Living & Literature Across Frontiers: New Year's Resolution #1: Keeping Myself Young At Heart
Explaining what the winners of the world's top awards in mathematics actually do isn't as easy as adding 2+2. But we'll give it a try.

There is no Nobel Prize for mathematicians, the story goes, because of a love affair.


• Beauty’s Defining Glory Math = beauty + truth / (really hard) [English culture may have awkward gaps, but its awareness of humour and proportion can be exquisite A quiet smile at absolute folly ; From TCS, "The Burke Habit" is a textbook study in how not to write an essay about conservatism Kicking the Burke Habit ; Sack your personal trainer and cancel your lunchtime gym session to make way for the trend of 2006 - brain trainers New fad to flex brain, not body ]
• · How the new diet books measure up ; There were plenty of tears but there was also laughter and applause A great life remembered ;
• · · Their Eyes Were Reading Smut ; How low can you go? ; Young men have always dressed to shock. Yet there is something strange about today's underclad bottoms WRITE BETTER, EARN MORE! (Part 3 of 3) Nine Tips For Instantly Improving Your Marketing Copy
• · · · Marketing your writing online can come in many flavors Entrepreneurial Writers, I Bet You Didn't Think Of This ; Destined to transform the electronic reading experience, the lightweight Sony® Reader is expected to bring a whole new meaning to "book smart." New Sony Reader Puts a Library's Worth of Reading Material in Your Pocket
• · · · · USA Today reports on the growing practice of having authors talk to readers' book clubs by phone, asserting that publishers are expanding their efforts in arranging calls Authors 'phone it in' to appreciative book clubs ; The holiday sales season has been kind to Books-A-Million (BAM) for three years running now, as once again the retailer recovered from a bad third quarter to enjoy a solid year-end increase. Books-A-Million, Inc. Reports Holiday Sales Results ; Thanks a million, Books-A-Million
• · · · · · She has a passion for bringing books and people together and considers friendly customer service to be the most important part of her work Rita Nash ; A chance meeting set Carolyn Burke on a mission to uncover the real Lee Miller Shoot for success