Waste Not

Rivers of
garbage
run down to
a sea
drowning
in plastic bags


It's an island you could walk on,
but not if you're a fish.
An island you could
place in an engine
and drive
around the world

but first you have to smash through
the barriers
of discarding what you see,
to discover
what you want

and how to get there

For who are we to
mine for gold in
uranium
mine for uranium
in rock

Everything we need
runs through our fingers.
All we have to do is
reach out
and take what is ours
to protect
what is not

A.J. Ponder

Some more links to go with the ones I put up a couple of weeks ago on "Working Towards Waste Not", where I posted a video of Bill Gates drinking - shock! horror! water!! And there are a few more links about recycling waste including companies "mining" gold and other precious metals in sewerage.

Gold and uranium mining. Believe it or not gold and uranium are often mined hand in hand, although not so long ago, uranium, was usually left in the tailings. So maybe someone should have asked Bill Gates if he'd rather drink recycled sewerage or uranium? http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/dec/05/nuclear-greenpolitics. 
 
Turning plastic bags into diesel fuel?  When? And yes, maybe we shouldn't be using them at all, but it's a bit late for that so... http://news.illinois.edu/news/14/0212bags_oil_brajendrakumarsharma.html

Have a great week,
A.J.

P.S.  I'm not sure I can manage to live waste free like these people, but it's a great goal, and one we should be working toward as a community :)
http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/
http://www.recycle.co.nz/problemsize.php
http://www.rubbishfree.co.nz/ 

And lastly...This...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/hawaii-plastic-bag-ban_n_7702382.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010   (if you're not sure why they've done it, scroll down for the surfer)

Tuesday Poem: Schrödinger's News

Schrödinger's News

We heard the news today,
on the inside there was an unknown

No letter from God
proclaiming the obvious-
that cat's been in there without air or water for some time
it's probably not doing so well



OK
I'm running so late, it's just this nub this week - one day I might even explain it - but not today

Hope you all have a fab week

A.J. Ponder

Seven Rings for Mortal Man

Believe it or not, it's New Zealand SpecFic Blogging week. So I thought how about a little homage to the Lord of the Rings film in the hope that The Hobbit will eventually materialise.  (I'm dying to know if they are going to open with the scene of Smaug I've always imagined.)

Seven Rings for Mortal Man

I have a tale to tell to you,

A tale of woe and endless rue

Of dark things stalking in the night

and brave men come to do what’s right

Of Princesses and courage true

As seen on high from Godlike view

Of cameras scattered in the night

To catch this truly awesome sight

Now I would be a Hero

and wield a Hero’s blade

To smite the foe in battle rage

If only I could make the grade

Or evil crawling in the night

To fight the good with all my might -

It is not beneath my pride

To slaughter elvish scum upon an orcish tide

For these things I long, and many more

but to walk until I get footsore

And I absolutely swear

a dozen steps to get nowhere…

I’d do it all again for

This feature promises to bring

“Riders” dark and menacing

Dwarves and Elves and Men

And special effects beyond my ken

The stars the moon the absent sun

The stones on which the rivers run

Bless them all this awe-full night

In the promise of the sight

Of

One film to rule them all

One film to spell-bind them

One film to bring them all

and in the darkness…

just watch it!

A..J. Ponder - Amazon author page

ok maybe it's not pure spec fic but here's some others - one or two of which might be considered Spec Fic - hey what do I know?  I just write stuff.


SpecFic POEMS
Time Wyrm - The crack in the universe expanded
Kaitoke - 'nough said.
The Fair Folk by William Allingham
Ecila - I'm sensing a pattern.  A certain someone falling down the rabbit hole.

As You know Bob - prose poem by Tim Jones
Books in the Trees - Tim Jones.  Not actually a poem but definitely a fun read.
I know there are so many others but the slipper just fell off and the pumpkin is leaving.

NZ SpecFic BOOK REVIEWS

hundreds of SFFANZ book reviews (some of which will be NZ)

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (lovely book, quite romantic)
Thornspell by Helen Lowe 
Brainjack by Brian Falkner 

Interviews with NZ SpecFic Authors

Elizabeth Knox (with Helen Heath, 10 Questions series)