16th, 17th November 2017 Writings

 16^th, 17^th

Excerpt from: Tales of Dubbington

16 November 2017

Kit Farrington arrived at the sporting field.

Words: 10

Excerpt from: Adventures in Dulhunty

It was the first time she had been able to come to Bible Study for a couple of months.

Wednesday 20 December 2017

Kara entered the cafe.

Sunday 24 December 2017

Kit arrived at the Church.

Words:36

Excerpt from: Adventures at Mara Brown v2

“I had my doubts, but ultimately it isn't my decision. You are now part of the University of New Cambridge branch of the Agency,” Samson said.

“Thanks,” Danielle said.

“I wasn't finished,” Samson said with annoyance.

“Oh!”

“What was my decision is that I'm able to put you to a test,” Samson said.

“What kind of test?”

“Nothing too strenuous,” Samson answered, hearing the anxiety in Danielle's voice. He recalled some of the missions she had succeeded at in her home town. 'She must have overcome her fears well enough to do them. Besides she is at a new place.'

“Good,” Danielle said. “When will this be?”

“Not tonight.”

“Good.”

“Tomorrow,” Samson said,

“Sure,” Danielle said. “See you then.”

Words: 131

Excerpt from: After the Plague in New England 2.0

19 September 2018

The Armidale Regional Council announces a Quarantine around the Armidale Regional Council area.

Late September – Early October 2018

Increasing instability in Australia, and elsewhere as the plague continues to worsen and claim more lives...

Late 2018

Australia collapses.

Early 2019

Emergency rule in the Armidale Regional Council Area, as various supplies threaten to run out. Rationing is in force.

September 2019

Discussion begins on the future of the area within the Council Area, as to what form of government it shall have, and how to continue to support civilisation within the area.

Late 2019

The discussions continue.

February – April 2020

A constitutional convention is held regarding the form that a constitution of the Council Area would take.

17 April 2020

The Constitutional Convention concludes

Words: 129

Excerpt from: The Kelsington Conspiracy

The Agent was still watching. She still needed to report back to Endeavour about the Protest, after-all. So far it was about what she expected, and were very similar to the speech by the Student Union leader at her alma mater.

Krystal continued her speech.

Elias arrived in the Quad soon enough to hear the end of Krystal's speech.

Words: 59

Excerpt from: Other Characters appearing in Lawndale

who appeared to be asleep. Ezri was conflicted, she really didn't want to wake the other woman, but she also didn't know where she was. She was also sure that it wasn't a holographic environment. But just to be sure...

“Computer: end program,” she whispered. Nothing happened.

Words: 48

Excerpt from: Ages of Change – Future Timeline

18 November 2017

The Zimbabwe military remove Robert Mugabe from power.

19 – 25 November 2017

In the Australian Federal Parliament, the Citizenship Debacle continues (and causes problems with the attempt to legislate for Same Sex Marriage).

Sunday, 19 November 2017

In Churches across Australia, Christians pray about the uncertain times ahead.

Monday, 20 November 2017

It is another tumultuous day in Canberra, as another Liberal MP is revealed to have dual citizenship, and therefore ineligible to serve in the Parliament according to Section 44 of the Commonwealth Constitution.

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

A by-election is called in the electorate of the MP that was declared ineligible the previous day for the 6^th of January.

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

The House of Representatives passes one version of the Bill authorising Same Sex Marriage.

Thursday, 23 November 2017

The Senate begins debating the Same Sex Marriage Bill passed the previous day.

Friday, 24 November 2017

A National MP from Western Australia is accused of having dual citizenship.

Saturday, 25 November 2017

The Senate rejects the changes made to the Same Sex Marriage Bill made by the House of Representatives.

Words: 188

Excerpt from: Tales of Oxley v7

She had just came back to Oxley earlier in the day. Therefore she was tired.

Wednesday 3 January 2017

Kara entered the cafe.

Wednesday 10 January 2017

Kit entered the cafe.

Monday 12 March 2018

Kara entered the cafe.

Words: 39

Total: 628

14th, 15th November 2017 Writings

 14^th, 15^th

Excerpt from: Adventures of Durrington

Tuesday 2nd January 2018

Kit entered the cafe.

Friday 2nd February 2018

Cora entered the cafe.

Words: 16

Excerpt from: Janeway's Quandary

USS Voyager NCC 74656

Captain Kathryn Janeway was uncertain how she had got herself in this situation.

Words: 17

Excerpt from: Kelsington Draft v3

“Good,” Megan said as she started the engine.

“And maybe find out about Elias' exploits...” Roberta added. She hadn't been able to find out, but maybe Corrine could.

“Possibly,” Megan said as she turned off the street with which she shared the name,

Words: 46

Excerpt from: The Kelsington Conspiracy

Of course, it also had big loopholes that allowed for situations such as this. “Therefore we need to know what those terms are.”

Words: 23

Excerpt from: Linnea's Difficulties

15 November 2021

Linnea Olafsson arrived home quite tired. It had been a very long day, and she hadn't slept well the night before. She unlocked the door.

Words: 28

Excerpt from: Weirdness of Lawndale

Quinn knew what that was: “Nocturnal Emissions!”

“...issions,” Tiffany finished.

“I don't get it, Tiffany. If you can pass the test, why stay in the class?”

“I don't want to pass the test. I like having low self-esteem. I feel special.”

Words: 44

Excerpt from: Other Characters Appear in Lawndale

She immediately panicked. “Where am I?” She then had another question. “Why am I hungry.” She looked around, seeing that it was some sort of house, a rather messy one. There was another woman, or girl in the room.

Words: 39

Total: 203

Murder on the Orient Express 2017 review

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, set on the Orient Express. After a passenger is murdered on the train, Hercule Poirot has to find out who did it. It has to be one of the other passengers in the Calais Coach, but which one. All the characters, especially Poirot, are quite well realised, but does this help one find out who did it as one is watching? The cinematography is excellent, particularly when the train is travelling from Istanbul to the Dinaric Alps, where a derailment occurs due to an avalanche.

Is the film derailed? I don't think so. It merely shifts from the travelogue of the train journey, to the serious business of the murder case. Of course, cinematography alone cannot help one solve a mystery if one hadn't read the novel or watched any previous adaptations. But Poirot is confused as he investigates the murder, finding links between the current murder and a murder committed five years earlier. However, the solution to the case is interesting, there being a very big twist as to who did the deed.

(And there is a sequel hook too, one of the other Poirot novels) 8.5/10.

Star Trek Discovery 1.08 Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum review

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum review

The eighth episode of the series, continuing the storyline of the war against the Klingons. The opening, where Discovery tries to save the Gagarin, was done very well. The bridge crew clearly try their best to stop the Bird of preys from taking out the Gagarin. It is quite obviously the cloaking devices that give the Klingons the advantage here. Lorca's tactic of placing the Discovery in harms way to protect the other ship was a good idea (and one that we have seen the other captains we have seen use).

Too bad it doesn't work and the Gagarin is destroyed. (Lorca then asks Airiam to take the conn. Is she the third in command?) However, there is the other storyline, with Saru, Burnham and Tyler on Pahvo. An actual planet based mission with a mysterious subspace transmitter to investigate? It is a change from the ship focused episodes preceding it, and it's reflective of the various planetary exploration episodes of the previous series (particularly the Original and Animated Series, but parts of Voyager and Enterprise also).

The nature of the planet and it's inhabitants are also well established, as is the effect it has on Saru (more on this below). But before that, the discussion lead by Burnham about the creatures and their nature was done rather well. Back on Discovery, Tilly is wondering, what is up with Staments, why did he call her 'Captain' earlier? It is obvious that being the navigator for the Spore Drive is having some kind of effect on him. (And also that he doesn't want to Culbur in a very difficult position, but enough about that).

Cornwell is on the Klingon Ship of the Dead. L'Rell is there also. The latter tries to help the former to escape. (Did she really want to defect to the Federation, or is it one of House Moquai's schemes? Probably the latter.) Still these scenes were done rather well. Then Kol catches her in the act and Cornwell is electrocuted. Quite a... shocking scene. But what is more shoking to L'Rell is that she finds former friends dead. Also quite effectively acted. But back to Saru, the aliens do something to him, taking away his fear.

Burnham then has to get to the transmitter, leaving Tyler behind to delay Saru. These scenes are also quite well done. (Showing Saru running at speed.) The Discovery responding to the distress call, and rescuing the landing party (I'm sure the term 'Away Team' wasn't said, was good, as well as Lorca's incredulosity at the Aliens signalling the Klingons so as to try to bring about peace. 9/10.

13th November 2017 Writings

 13^th

Excerpt from: Star Trek: Enterprise – The Romulan Conundrum

Enterprise NX-01 – 13 November 2255

Captain Jonathan Archer didn't like the news at all.

Words: 15

Excerpt from: The Kelsington Conspiracy

we have no idea what their agenda is,” Krystal said to the crowd in front of her. “What is the terms of the contract which the Vice-Chancellor will sign. We have no idea what effect it will have on the academic freedoms that this university currently enjoys.” According to the various pieces of legislation that governed the university sector in Australia, each university had the right to determine what it taught.

Words: 71

Excerpt from: Star Trek Discovery – Where Are We?

USS Discovery NCC 1031 - unknown location

There was one thing, that Captain Gabriel Lorca was certain of, they were lost. Something had happened to Stamets in the last Jump. “Mr. Saru, try to make sense of the sensor data. Try to locate the pulsars we know of.”

Saru took a moment. “Aye, Captain.” He input some commands into his panel. “It will take the computer a moment to locate the pulsars and compute our position from the resulting data.”

“Thank you,” Lorca said. “Bridge to engineering, report!”

“Stamets is out,” Cadet Sylvia Tilly reported. “Culver is taking him to sickbay.”

Words: 110

Total: 196

12th November 2017 Writings

 12^th

Excerpt from: Doctor Who: Season 8.5

He ran a scan. There was some good news. “I don’t detect anything.”

Words: 13

Excerpt from: The Kelsington Conspiracy

'This is strange.' he thought. Were they in the quad, becoming involved in the Protest? Or was something else happening? 'Whatever the answer is, I'll come back later,' he thought. He decided go by the Protest before going back to Mara Green.

“Kelsington is shrouded in mystery.”

Words: 48

Excerpt from: Doctor Who: Changes in Time and Space

“You're not going to give the information at all, are you?” Lana asked in a disappointed tone.

Words: 18

Excerpt from: Reverse Map Game 2017

This includes Alexandria, where the unrest that had been gripping that city is stoked by the revolutionaries in Cairo sending 'assistance'...

Asia

The Manchu war continues.

The rebellion in Srivijayan Borneo expands...

Australasia

Antipodia

A town is officially established at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station (the settlement around the station had been unofficial for now.) There is a population of 250 (including indigenous residents).

New South Wales

Armidale's population reaches 3000.

Dubbo's population reaches 4550.

The town of Balranald is officially annexed into the Republic of New South Wales. (It had some sort of 'territorial status' before this.)

Words: 98

Words: 177

Church notes - 12th November 2017

12th November
Psalm 93

John 1:1-5
Philippians 2:9 - 11

Nehemiah 4
Psalm 127
Discouragement is an attitude
- Feeding our minds with negative thoughts
- Satan wants us to be discouraged
- We need to meditate on God's Word.

Peter & Carolyn Campbell - Missionaries
Revelation 7:9
Matthew 24
The Gospel will be preached to all. There are still unreached people groups.
10% of people are Christian - true followers of Jesus.
30% - haven't heard of Jesus
20% - consider themselves Christian, but their obedience to Jesus is doubtful.
40% - Haven't responded to the Gospel.
Matthew 28:18 - 20
We should be going making disciples. God has called enough to reach all the unreached peoples, but people give excuses!
Jeremiah 29:11
He has a future for us. He knows what He is doing. We can reply upon Him.
God is at work despite the turmoil in the world.


PM Church - 12th November
Toxic Words
James 3:3 - 12
'Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me'
- Not true
We've all had cruel words used against us (and vice-versa)

Proverbs 12:21
What will you use your words for?

James 3:3 - 5
Three different pictures of what words are like.
Horse's bit, ship's rudder, small spark.
A small thing can cause great destruction
Words are dangerous
vs 6 - 8
Small words can impact others lives (even Eternally)
We struggle to stop saying toxic words.
Spider-man - "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
As Christians we have the responsibility to use the right words.
vs 9 - 12
We shouldn't speak toxic words - the other people were also created by God. Praise and poison shouldn't be spoken from the same mouth. Our words become corrupted. God is saying that the two cannot go together.
Like a toothbrush used for cleaning a toilet - that is how gross the toxic words are. They are from our old, siinful self.
This is one of our biggest struggles
We need to keep asking the Spirit to help us.
- 'What is the point of the words I am about to speak? Do they show love for God, or the other person?'
We shouldn't be silent. We are to use words to show God's love.
Proverbs 12:18
Proverbs 12:25
Proverbs 16:24
Isaiah 63:7
Colossians 4:6
Ephesians 4:29
1 Peter 3:15, 16