Tweet digest

• 12:42 @ardieroque Can we use your Samoa pics on @abcnews? Pls let me know if that's a problem. Thanks. #
• 12:44 Hi @gpatnava. Do you mind if we use your Samoa pics on @abcnews? Let me know if that's a problem. Thanks. #
• 12:49 @ardieroque Thank you. #
• 14:23 RT @wolfcat: congrats to @abcnews for attributing twitpics to the actual users unlike some organisations.. #
• 15:27 @pinglo Ditto. #

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QWC blog tour: Sex, violence and monsters

Q. Where do your words come from?
A. Everyday experiences coupled with bizarre ideas/concepts. I watched a lot of TV as a kid. Some might say too much.

Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. Born in the UK, grew up in Capalaba (southside Brisbane), now living in the shadow of the Mt Coot-tha TV antennas.

Q. What’s the first sentence/line of your latest work?
A. Jake McKinsley had worked enough undercover operations to know when something was about to go wrong.

Q. What piece of writing do you wish you had written?
A. The Shining, by Stephen King. It oozes claustrophobic terror.

Q. What are you currently working towards?
A. The first draft of Metamorphosis (working title), a sf/horror/twisted 'buddy' story about an undercover cop and a femme fatale who are forced to work together after a biological weapons attack wipes out most of the population of their city, and turns the survivors into blood-lusting, 12-foot-tall monsters.

Q. Complete this sentence… The future of the book is…
A. ...continued convergence of and crossovers between other art forms, such as TV, movies and video games.

This post is part of the Queensland Writers Centre blog tour, happening October to December 2009. To follow the tour, visit Queensland Writers Centre’s blog The Empty Page from October 6.

Tweet digest

• 18:50 @Elva_Darnell Damn. #
• 18:54 Right, I'm just gonna write something, and keep tapping away until I'm done. #amwriting #
• 19:22 581 crap words tonight. 160 crap words last night. I'm clawing my way out of the abyss. #amwriting #
• 19:50 Research Q about #chicago. My character works downtown Chicago, is fairly well-off. If he is paying off a mortgage, where would he live? #

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Dead cell phones: suspense movie cop-outs

(Via Boing Boing)

Tweet digest

• 08:02 RT: @sfsignal: RT @ManMadeMoon: For those interested.... PKD's leter about Blade Runner bit.ly/4tbRH #fb #
• 08:22 RT: @zaibatsu: RT @kim: RT @shaboui: RT @mparent77772: Augmented Google Earth Gets Real-Time People, Cars, Clouds bit.ly/2ZjfjG #
• 08:24 @tech_stream It's only a concept though, isn't it? One of the other entries was a food 'teleporter'. #
• 08:30 @tech_stream I agree. What would be the basic building blocks? Some sort of nutrient/carbon sludge? Gross. #
• < em>11:40 @Colvinius A friend of mine got a Utah teapot tattoo (he's a 3D computer designer type guy) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_teapot #
• 18:59 Stalled about 5k from end of my first draft of my novel. Am I scared of finishing it? #amwriting #

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Tweet digest

• 06:39 @MindReign thank you! #
• 08:12 @pinglo @hillmaker can't believe this tripe conversation is continuing. :) #
• 08:12 @lucethoughts do the police love her or hate her? :) #
• 08:48 @pinglo I asked for that, didn't I? #
• 09:18 @pinglo stop! stop! #
• 09:28 RT @lucethoughts: Anyone in Fortitude Valley last night at 'The Beat' nightclub? D id you see Lady Sov assault someone (allegedly) pls DM me. #
• 12:31 RT: @sfsignal: RT @RickKlaw: Top 10 Unanswered Questions in Geeky Movies shar.es/1tICN #fb #

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Tweet digest

• 20:07 Can anyone recommend a good book about the history of #tattoos? #

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There's a bear in there

IMG_2139, originally uploaded by garykemble.

I flew down to ABC headquarters at Ultimo yesterday for a meeting about ABC Online's plans for opinion and analysis.

Can't say much about that at this stage, but it's going to be a very busy couple of months.

Also had an impromptu meeting about social media, and that was very exciting also.

And, of course, I got to meet Big Ted. Or Massive Ted.

(Thanks Ping!)

Tweet digest

• 19:36 #Yahoo Mail #fail. Keeps asking for verification codes, even though I enter them correctly. I AM NOT SPAM! #

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Tweet digest

• 09:05 @WauloK Hilarious! Can we use that on @abcnews? #
• 09:45 @aramadge Yes, it was a bit shaky yesterday too. #
• 10:00 Attn @WauloK @StephenRants @marclehmann @julie_posetti @neerav @mpesce @PaddyPlasterer @PhilWillis @catri @renailemay bit.ly/GP9mS #
• 10:01 Attn @catatonickid @Croc_Hunteress @rod3000 @teenateacup @IAmTheAnt bit.ly/GP9mS #
• 10:09 RT @abcnews: Dust whips up a storm on #twitter bit.ly/GP9mS #duststorm #sydneyduststorm @bbsug gest #
• 10:55 It's getting dusty in #brisbane. #duststorm #
• 11:15 @benjaminsolah Yes, visibility has dropped noticably in the past 30 minutes. #
• 11:30 Will the Brisbane #duststorm become a #dudstorm? Only time will tell. #
• 15:21 I never thought I'd see the day... #zombies on the ABC's PM program! digg.com/u1Cx59 #L4D2 #

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Dust whips up storm on Twitter

Twitter lit up after the dust storm hit Twitter this morning.

Read my story here.

Tweet digest

• 13:13 @thetowncrier I don't think @AustralianInk is obscure. Just new. #
• 13:29 @thetowncrier I reckon (hope) there are more people interested in tattoos than pig shooting, and look how long Bacon Busters has been around #
• 14:12 @mpesce that's a sticking plaster solution, if ever i heard one. :) #
• 14:13 @nic_macbean You could call it the BBQute #
• 15:05 RT @abcnews: Check out our YouTube page, NewsOnABC: bit.ly/boK5v #
• 20:45 Is anyone still seething about the Oz #L4D2 ban? If so, leave a comment on The Soapbox: is.gd/3yEkF Pls RT #
• 20:45 Of course, you can also leave a comment if you think the L4D2 ban is a *good* thing. #

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Tweet digest

• 11:42 Outrage over #L4D2 ban, by @abcnew's Gemma Breen. is.gd/3teZG #
• 18:34 82.5k done of approx 90k on manuscript. Woohoo! #amwriting #

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Amazing murals by Meels

IMG_2136, originally uploaded by garykemble.

I don't often post about personal stuff on this blog, but I finally got to see the murals my wife Amelia has been painting on a cubby over at the Lady Cilento Parenting Centre, and they are amazing.

Check out more at Art by Meels.

Tweet digest

• 10:18 Is starting a novel with a dream/nightmare a good or bad idea? #amwriting #
• 11:03 Thanks @CrissWrites and @amergina #

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Tweet digest

• 10:56 RT @abcnews: What do you think of the decision to refuse classification for #L4D2? Tweet us/leave a msg on The Soapbox: bit.ly/aK4Ht #
• 20:59 RT @abcarticulate: WALL-E. Cutest. Robot. Ever? Have your say: is.gd/3poCP #

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Movie Minutiae: WALL-E (2008)

Saw this movie last weekend and I can't stop thinking about the little guy!

I liked the movie, especially the first act. Yeah, it got a little cheesy towards the end, but I can live with that.

But WALL-E himself -- he's just so endearing.

Read my Movie Minutiae post here.

Tweet digest

• 15:28 RT @JohnBirmingham: RT widely and loudly. L4D2 zapped in Oz by censorious muppets. bit.ly/nG6Oa &lt;-Nooooooo! #

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Tweet digest

• 10:34 RT @abcnews: Who's your favourite Question Time tweeter? #qt #
• 11:38 RT @abcnews: National Tertiary Education Union (Vic) secretary Matthew McGowan has his say on uni strike. The Soapbox:bit.ly/aK4Ht #
• 14:22 RT @Emma_Rodgers: Determined expressions of restraint from most frontbenchers so far. Almost sombre compared to yesterday's antics #qt #
• 14:37 RT @abcnews: @Emma_Rodgers is tweeting Question Time for @abcnews today. #qt #
• 14:38 @Krasnostein Are you following Emma_Rodgers? An erstwhile acquaintance of mine, tweeting #qt for the fi rst time today. #
• 14:55 RT @abcnews: Who are your favourite non-MP, non-journo Question Time tweeters? #
• 15:27 RT @AlanBaxter: Don't let your literary panty line show - good advice! bit.ly/fwt8U #

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Tweet digest

• 20:29 #optus problem was faulty line. Technician out within an hour or so of it being diagnosed. #

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• 19:21 Anyone else had their #optus phone line not work, but their optus dsl service keep working? I didn't realise this was possible. #
• 19:28 Cool! First video on The Soapbox... is.gd/3fDwO #

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First video on The Soapbox

The Soapbox - video comments - was one of the recommendations we implemented after the social media working group earlier this year.

Think you can do better? We'd love to hear from you: http://www.abc.net.au/news/opinion/soapbox/

Tweet digest

• 11:40 @wolfcat i'm scarred by my parents buying me a village people album when i was five. #
• 12:14 @wolfcat we had Father Abraham and the Smurfs. #
• 12:15 bit.ly/2dXkIW #

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Tweet digest

• 07:14 @wElliottAuthor true! #
• 07:27 @wolfcat People need to understand the contribution Check 1-2 made to Aussie rock. :) #
• 08:11 @KimFalconer thanks for the #ff mention! And the one for @BlackOnline. #

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Tweet digest

• 08:30 RT @abcnews: Barnesy confirms Cold Chisel reunion bit.ly/1PMg6p &lt;- what about Craig McLachlan and Check 1-2? #
• 08:34 Hey Mona (1990) Feast your eyes and ears on this: digg.com/u1CK5p #
• 08:38 @wolfcat Things were simpler then. You had your ute. Your guitar. Your frizzy-haired dancing girl... #
• 09:07 @wElliottAuthor Surprises are good. #

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Tweet digest

• 09:25 Was going to post a vid on The Soapbox (digg.com/u1CGww) last night, but by the time I thought about it, I was already in my PJs. #
• 09:49 RT @abcnews: @JoeHockey is going to continue tweeting during #qt. Which other MPs are going to join him, or are already tweeting during #qt? #
• 10:57 RT @abcnews: Hockey defiant on Question Time tweets bit.ly/JYh8Y #

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Tweet digest

• 10:06 @KimFalconer Congratulations! #
• 10:07 @pinglo Wow, he's really packing on the kilos. #
• 12:06 RT @abcnews: Five days on from launching The Soapbox we're still waiting for our first submission! What's the deal? bit.ly/aK4Ht #
• 12:52 RT @abcnews: Breaking news: AFP confirms new probe into Balibo deaths #
• 14:12 @jendudley Did you have anyone screaming: I'VE GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS! ? #
• 14:19 @JohnBirmingham when i was a kid, TCO was the ultimate, exotic treat. #

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My blog url, as a Dickens url

http://dickensurl.com/c0b9/My_friend_is_dead_my_neighbour_is_dead_my_love_the_darling_of_my_soul_is_dead_it_is_the_inexorable_consolidation_and_perpetuation_of_the_secret_that_was_always_in_that_individuality_and_which_I_shall_carry_in_mine_to_my_lifes_end_In_any_of_the_burialplaces_of_this_city_through_which_I_pass_is_there_a_sleeper_more_inscrutable_than_its_busy_inhabitants_are_in_their_innermost_personality_to_me_or_than_I_am_to_them

(Via Dickens url, via Mashable)

Tweet digest

• 08:18 RT @BlackOnline: HorrorScope - Interview: Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay bit.ly/15HdSq #
• 10:16 RT @abcnews: 6 cups a day keeps the doctor awake bit.ly/BQxHh #
• 11:48 RT @abcnews: Revamped Opinions and Analysis page. What do you think? bit.ly/IsODo (part of an ongoing process - more changes to come) #

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Tweet digest

• 08:52 @michaelmeloni It had a very limited release in Brisbane. Not sure about DVDs. Monitor the Storage website, I'd say. #
• 09:03 RT @abcnews: Have your say. Leave a comment on The Soapbox: bit.ly/aK4Ht &lt;- no comments over the weekend. Too hard? No extroverts? #
• 09:44 RT @abcnews: Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay, heading to Brisbane Writers Festival, says his worst critics are his friends: bit.ly/L1lzd #
• 12:43 @KimFalconer Thanks for the #ff mention! #

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Jeff Lindsay double-header

I interviewed Jeff Lindsay, the man behind the Dexter books, recently.

You can read the feature on ABC News Online: http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/07/2678192.htm

And you can read the full interview at HorrorScope: http://ozhorrorscope.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-dexter-creator-jeff-lindsay.html

Tweet digest

• 20:31 6k this week. Nailed it. Just as well. Next week's going to be tough with writer's meetup, cocktail party and mate's b'day. #amwriting #
• 20:31 RT @BlackOnline: HorrorScope - Review: Storage (Australia, 2009) bit.ly/mKuJO &lt;- by me! #

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Review: Storage

Check out my review of Australian thriller Storage, at HorrorScope.

Tweet digest

• 11:53 RT @abcnews: New initiative: The Soapbox, the place where you can have your say on the issues of the day: bit.ly/aK4Ht Pls RT! #
• 12:05 @wolfcat @rosieryan is our ugc cover girl. :) #
• 14:07 RT @lucethoughts: For any ABC employee ... this one from @firstdogonmoon nails it. bit.ly/WWKUc #

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Now live: The Soapbox

When I'm not writing, I'm working at ABC News Online, which is based in Brisbane.

At the moment, I'm heading our push to ramp up our social media, user-generated content and online communities effort.

The latest thing we've done -- just launched today -- is The Soapbox, which offers ABC readers/viewers the opportunity to contribute video comments.

Please take a look, and pass this info on to all the opinionated extroverts you know!

Tweet digest

• 08:33 RT @BlackOnline: From the people who brought you Black Magazine, Eye of Fire ezine! Download here: digg.com/u1BtIA #
• 08:33 RT @BlackOnline: Subscribe to Eye of Fire by emailing eye_of_fire@brimstonepress.com.au #horror #news #
• 10:46 RT @abcnews: New Japanese PM's wife 'rode to Venus on UFO' bit.ly/xA2WO #
• 10:46 #vodafone, why won't you let me give you money? #fail #
• 10:48 @awrd Nah, happens all the time. :) #
• 10:53 tee hee - &gt;RT @DarrylMason: She wasn't on my flight - RT @abcnews: New Japanese PM's wife 'rode to Venus on UFO' bit.ly/xA2WO #
• 10:55 @melkettle yep, via phone doesn't work either. #vodafone #fail #
• 14:06 @melkettle seems to be fixed now. #
• 15:22 Cujo: The Killer Dog, as interpreted by a Ghanian artist digg.com/u1BuCI (via @boingboing) #
• 20:43 After an excellent Tuesday and a zilcho Wednesday, am trying to knock a hole out of the 2k I need to write by Sunday. #amwriting #
• 20:54 @KimFalconer That's ok. 600 tonight. It was 'Dad's Night' at kindy, so I wasn't expecting to get anything done tonight! #
• 20:55 @KimFalconer I don't have any tattoos, but I've always been intrigued by them. I've thought about getting one but I don't know if I would. #
• 20:56 @KimFalconer I'd want to make sure the tattoo had a very strong meaning to me. #
• 20:57 @KimFalconer :) Yeah, I feel 600 is like cresting the hill, so that it's downhill from there to notch another 1000! #
• 20:58 Good to see Brimstone Press back in the game with Eye of Fire (free ezine) Download here: digg.com/u1BtIA #horror #reviews #news #
• 20:59 @KimFalconer Interesting. You have tattoo/s, I take it? #
• 21:01 @KimFalconer :) I trust you. #
• 21:06 @KimFalconer Cool! Were you concerned about going for something so elaborate/large? #
• 21:06 @KimFalconer Apparently there's a big tattoo conven tion @ gold coast in Jan, so I'm going to check that out. #

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Subscribe to Eye of Fire!

My good friends over at Brimstone Press have launched a free ezine called Eye of Fire.

It serves two purposes: it's a stop-gap measure until Black Online is launched in the not-too-distant future; it's also a way to try and get Black Magazine back in print.

Issue one (which you can download for free here) features:

Update on Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine.
The Zombie Invasion of Mainstream Literature!
Interviews with paranormal fiction superstar Charlaine Harris and steampunk sensation Richard Harland.
Pulp Horror! Australia’s lurid literary past
Publishing, Awards, and Convention news.
The latest book and movie reviews.
Win free DVDs, movie tickets, and books!
Free fiction from Shane Jiraiya Cummings’ new book Shards.
Dark and Alternative Business Directory
Brimstone Press Catalogue.

You have to subscribe to receive future issues, and you can do this by emailing: eye_of_fire@brimstonepress.com.au

Please support this initiative, and maybe Black Magazine will rise from the grave!

Tweet digest

• 08:41 @shaunmoss71 Yeah, that'd be awesome. #

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Tweet digest

• 14:56 RT @abcnews: Watch Tim Holding's mountain rescue, with commentary from ABC pilot Ian White on the scene bit.ly/XsOZh &lt;-amazing #
• 14:57 @rockfotze You sure it's ping pong. :) #
• 20:02 Over 3k today, thanks to some kid-free time. #amwriting #
• 20:12 @KeliScrapchansk Thanks! Occasional kid-free time is good for keeping frustration at bay. I really needed a lift as I've been plodding l8ly. #
• 20:17 Thinking of moving my story from the fictional Westgate to the real Chicago! It's got every thing I need. Waterfront, parks, big skyscraper. #

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