Charity Scrabble Tournament

Hi there,

this from the excellent Fiona Harrold's website:

"Fiona's friend Monica Garnsey tells us about a charity event to raise funds that will help rebuild a young boy's life.

On April 21st, at the Frontline Club, 9 Norfolk Place, Paddington, I'm having the latest of what has become an annual event, a charity party and scrabble tournament to raise money for Facing the World charity.

The parties are attended by lots of journalists as befits the Frontline, which is a members club for foreign correspondents, but also architects, telly people, bankers, fashion designers, entrepreneurs, all sorts.

You'd be surprised at the party people who adore Scrabble on the sly, and this is a chance for them to come clean about their obsession! There's room for all standards of players, from "I only play at Christmas" to life-long addicts.

Ali's Story

I'm a documentary maker and have made programmes for Channel 4 and the BBC in Iran, Iraq, Gaza, Russia, Bosnia, Thailand and Venezuala.

In 2003, just after the Allied Forces took over Iraq, I made a documentary film about two of the child casualties of the war, Ali Abbas (the little boy who lost his arms in a bomb attack, and is now living in the UK), and his hospital friend Ali Hussein, then 7, whose face was very badly hurt by a bombing attack that also killed many members of his family.

The documentary was called "The Tale of Two Alis", transmitted on Channel 4.

After the documentary, generous friends made it possible for the wonderful Facing the World charity, www.facingtheworld.net) which specialises in life-changing facial surgery for children, to give little Ali Hussein the new face he needed.

You can read a little about Ali's operation in 2004 here, on Facing the World's website.

Tickets for the tournament are £35, which goes straight to the charity, and available from me at monica.garnsey@gmail.com."

You can read more about this at fionaharrold.com or drop a line to Monica direct - monica.garnsey@gmail.com.

I'll be there and it looks like a fun evening - and for a worthwhile cause.

Online Writing Courses

Just a little note before our next proper update: this may be of interest to anyone looking to improve their blogging skills (yes, I've signed up for it too!) - NewsU Journalism Training.

"A project of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, NewsU is committed to providing interactive, inexpensive courses that appeal to journalists at all levels of experience and in all types of media." (From their mission statement.)

The online courses are free right now if you register (also free - to do them you'll need Flash) and the "Writer's Workbench" course is very, very good indeed.

TV Comment: Dr Who, The Face Of Boe

OMG, what about the COCK of Boe? Nova phoned me to mention this idea first, so if she deletes this post she's a spoilsport, but what about that - the face of the man is 8 feet wide, minimum, and can telepathically communicate its longings and desires, so what about the rest of him?

The knees of Boe and the bellybutton of Boe interest me slightly less, but OMG if I'm to have a "close encounter of the third kind" - touchy feely - please let it be with the Cock of Boe.

My Google on various "(euphemisms for the male member) Of Boe" turned up no results, which is quite shocking given fanfic's tendency towards the gross (please, go Google your own variations on "body product"+"telly hero"+"sexual act + fanfic" to check that statement out - I really don't want to do it all for you and then link to them, it WILL put me off my supper!)...

So, I'm left hoping that one day some weird, dark-light will glow in my room, a tank will appear chuffing smoke (is it too much to hope it's some high quality hashish?) and then The Cock Of Boe will be resplendent in all its telepathic glory, cranking out fun games and groovy sexpower, ready to save the world.

PatB(e Bastard. Banned!? Oh well! - PatB)