Radio New Zealand just ran a news story about the difficulty of getting cochlear implants in New Zealand. Each implant costs $40,000 to $50,000 and the health system currently funds twenty per year.  Cochlear implants are most effective when implanted in children and, for that price with a little ongoing support, a profoundly deaf child will be ( Read more... )

If you wonder about Drinan’s skeletal structure in days to come you could visit this museum.

Originally published at Blissertations. Please leave any comments there.

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I was delighted to hear that Peter S Beagle is finally being paid some of the profits from the movie of his book The Last Unicorn. Well done to the new CEO of ITV for a sensible and ethical response to the situation. I am really looking forward to seeing the new, remastered movie. Hopefully, he might screen it at Worldcon in 2013.

I am also ( Read more... )

This story about mysterious paper sculptures appearing across Edinburgh is one of my favourite things this year! Glamourbombing is something I have always wanted to do. The artist who did this has glamourbombed with panache!

Roald Dahl’s writing shed is hopefully going to be shifted to the Roald Dahl Museum - if people can stop arguing about ( Read more... )

It has turned out to be a brilliant thing that I booked a hotel room without a television in a place of few distractions. I added around 2,500 words to Somewhere Else yesterday and I have done 1200 today and counting. I hope to pass 2000 words by today, too. That makes a nice little pile of words.

I am finally writing the “Bloody Bats” sequence I ( Read more... )

Julia Donaldson, creator of the Gruffalo, is the new children’s laureate. I love the Gruffalo!
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I love those moments when fabrications and fabric collide. Here are two points in case. First, this delightful bed; in this rainy weather we have been having I’ve had no trouble at all imagining cuddling up under its pages and having a long nap and read session.


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Armageddon, a sci- fi/ Fantasy/ and general geekery themed convention, has just finished for this year. I had a great time and took advantage of the bargains at various tables to get graphic novels including an Eternals one by Gaiman, some X-Men and Runaways. I also picked up one of the Twelve Kingdoms manga, so I can see if I love the manga as ( Read more... )

I love this dragon harp guitar:


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