Astra Nomik - the woman - the poems

Astra Nomik is better know to the world as Cathy Nerujen. She is my partner, and a fantastic poet. She has written some poems which are published on Hub Pages. And people have remarked on how amazing they are. Such is her popularity that, even though she is not the blogging kind or facebook-user type of person, she asked if I would give her a mention here. Heh! What a gal! Okay, do check her out, as her poetry is mainly romantic and almost all about love. And she is very special and amazing. Cheers.

Cassy
   

A chapter sample "Megumi by the Firelight" - part 3

(The story so far - following on from parts 1 & 2- it's late in the evening as the girls get ready for bed, Megumi and Cassy are sharing the same room, and bed. Romance is in the air. And maybe love is close at hand also. Things are starting to happen, but it seems that fate is trying to intervene and somehow spoil the evening...an uninvited knock at the door could spoil things for the two girls...)

Avril stood there in a nightgown. Her red hair was tossed and wild and she looked like she’d just stepped out of a shower. Or possibly a wind tunnel. She looked over my shoulder and asked what was happening? What? I couldn’t believe it! I told her I was getting along nicely, and to please let us go to bed. Avril butted in and asked “Is she –eh...y’know? Gay?” Yes, I replied smoothly. “How’d ya know?” Avril asked again. I just looked at her. She raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “Holy shit, that was fast!”

“Goodnight, Avril honey! See ya in the morning!” And before she could ask any more I closed the door, and turned the key. Avril said something but it was muffled behind the door, and I just said goodnight again, till her footsteps tip-toed away. Poor Avril!

I went back to Megumi. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, removing clothes. I looked at her, and asked was she okay? She smiled, and said yes, much better now! I kissed her on the forehead, and said “Let’s sleep. It was a long day.” Megumi slid onto the bed, and took off her socks. I was removing my clothes now. Megumi had a very kinky smile on her face. I must have had the same smile because she suddenly gave a low husky chuckle, which made me smile even more.


Suddenly another knock came from the door. Oh no. Not again. I went to the door, and said “Avril, please go to bed.” Silence. Then a voice. “It’s me, Ronda...” My heart sank.
I unlocked the door and opened it to find Ronda standing there still in her clothes, still with that stupid make-up on her face, and she smelled of beer. Like she’d been swimming in it. “Cassy, baby...” she began.

Oh God help me, I thought, now what. Ronda’s voice was low and husky, like she’d just crawled out of a desert and she had difficulty getting her words out. “Cassy, I’m sorry for being a bitch. I was a bitch tonight. I...I am a bitch. I’m a stupid ball of lesbian ....” She trailed off into some incomprehensible mumbling bullcrap. “Ronda, it’s okay,” I muttered. “Just go to bed. It’s really okay.”

“No it isn’t, Cassy. You’re really sweet. You’re popular. Everybody loves you. They all love you.” She wavered and hovered uncertainly on her feet. “F**kin wasters...all” she suddenly roared, scaring the crap out of me. Then she yelled out – “Wasters, all of you! Lesbians! Bleedin’ amateurs!”


Then she seemed to start a different conversation as though she were somewhere else.
“Do you like my make-up, Cassy? Am I...am I pretty?” she asked sweetly. Honestly, she looked rubbish. But I hadn’t the heart to make her mood any worse. I said yes, she was lovely and told her to keep her voice down. “Lying bitch!!!” she roared. “I’m an over-weight, ugly F**kin’ BINT! I hate myself!”
Just then Marla appeared, and came down the hall in her dressing gown, smiling like she was out shopping or something – it was bizarre -  and she good-humouredly grabbed Ronda, and just as the two started moving away, Ronda retched and with the sound of a woman giving birth - puked up all over the rich red carpet. Sweet!...

(Continued by going to the link above, and read the entirety of Part 3.)

I have been writing this book for several months now, and happily, I can report it is nearly complete. I want to thank all the fans over in HubPages for the support to this project. I especially want to thank Blaise25, Allie and Art, and so many others. And most of all, Cathy, my partner for her undying love and support. This project is for you, Cathy. This book will be published in December 2010 and there is a slim chance that it may be getting published with two publishers. 

 Thank you for following the Chapters both here and on my website and on Hub Pages. And feel free to leave comments here and let me know what you thought of this, and if you'd like to see more like this published here.

 

Her Story Books - romance books I love!

I recently stumbled across HerStory Books, a cool site with lots of free romance novels.  If you love to read romance novels and are looking for great ebook downloads, I think you should check it out.  You should download some romance novels now!

An extended extract from "Megumi by the Firelight" - Part One

This is an extended extract from the forthcoming book by me, Cassanrda Mantis. The title is to be confirmed as yet. This is just Part One. Part Two will be following here very soon. Below is a short extract. This is the taster, a nice juicy part one of a big Chapter from the book. A weekend sleep-over in a friend's house gets very naughty for the 8 girls. There will be part 2 coming soon. It's a coming of age, coming out, finding true love kind of story. Follow the link for the full version of Part One. (The link opens a Hub Page in a new tab.)

"The idea of a sleep over for 8 girls was great. The fact that it was going to be 8 lesbians, or at least 8 girls with wayward sexual tendencies - was even better, and being 16 years old, and bursting with hormones, we were all looking forward to it. There’d be dressing up, make-up, music, games, stories, magic , palm-reading, shopping comparisons, art, jokes, flirting, and later probably some drinking, smoking and card games and then some naughty stuff, experimenting - as we girlies liked to do. Being Sixteen, naughty to us was kissing and sleeping over sometimes. Basically it was a weekend of partly-realistic teenage delinquency and debauchery and a get-together to see who would snog who. We were not yet progressed to the full-on heavy stuff that gay women or adults did. (And some of us never would.) But my friend Penny told me that a last minute change had been made and that a new girl was being added to replace a sick friend. I was surprised to find Ronda tell me “It’s the Jap girl”. There was a Japanese girl in my class, a very quiet girl who spoke to no one. I was surprised..."

More to come soon. Meanwhile - check out some nice books and films of a similar nature! And check this review of a truly delightful poetry collection by Marifel Collection, a girl's delight - "Toss and Turn".
Cassy.

 

Getting self-published - not as bad as you think, for a new writer

Book Publishing News

Earlier in 2010, an amazing and to some, a worrying event took place - ebook sales officially overtook traditional books and are still heading to Pluto. To online ebook sellers, that spells the beginning of an even bigger shift. Google, Amazon, Lulu, they are very happy campers. So now that authors no longer require that goddam apparatus of publishing houses, why should they offer up the vast bulk of their sales gross? Why not cut out the middle-man and go directly to the audience through self-publishing? Writers paying themselves first? Zoiks! That's a new one. Actually, it isn't.

Okay, traditional publishers are doing a fine job for the most part. Their role is to herd your manuscript through the production process at minimal time and cost, get the book bound and printed, and send it through the usual distribution channels. So if you are lucky, the marketing department might generate a press release and ship out a few review copies. And then there's the royalty schedule. Excuse me? The Royalty schedule? For most writers, that's where the advantage goes off the road and into a ditch.

Traditional publishers have Brand, and writers have brand, and that is supposed to be good, right? The publishing world still deals with intangibles like prestige and reputation. That vast market is crammed with titles all screaming like newborns for the milk of attention. Publishing imprints remain an important shortcut for reviewers, purchasing agents and readers as they try to determine what's worth their limited time and attention.

I can give 4 major reasons why, as a new writer - you got nothing to lose by self-publishing...

1. You are an established author with a following...no, seriously - you do. Megastars like John Grisham and J.K. Rowling are known brands, but names like Stephen King are too, only folks like him have demonstrated the viability of digital self-publishing. Remember the books he sold successfully online? But your audience doesn't have to be mass-market. If you know there are reviewers who know your name and thousands of readers waiting to buy your book, then the economics of digital publishing can suddenly make perfect sense.

2. You are a completely unknown author with nothing to lose, so hell with it. Well, it is called the internet, and its the world's greatest leveller. The entry costs are low, so why not? Nothing interests a traditional publisher or agent more than saying "my self-published book got 50,000 downloads." Jeez. Hand them the puke bag.

3. You are writing in a genre that's got a ready-made audience. Fan-communities for genres like science fiction, mysteries, romance novels, military adventure, poetry etc. are meritocracies that recognize good content, whether it's got the publisher's stamp of approval or not.You feeling righteous now?

4. You have alternative distribution channels. Um, in English please... The greatest advantage that a publisher provides is getting your book in stores. But what if you don't need stores? If you sell most of your titles at trade events and through your website, an e-book with a print-on-demand option (Like with Lulu.com) provides the same service and lets you keep more of the revenue.

Aah, the penny has dropped. Lulu.com is showing writers how a book can burst into existence in the space of two weeks as opposed to a near 12 months by going the traditional route. Services like Amazon's CreateSpace  lowers the entry costs for self-publishing more again. They are moving to replace the few value-adds that publishers still offer, such as editorial and marketing support. (You still have to fill that void and promote yourself, except the web offers so much for the budding writer.) These online services are wearing away the traditional stigma of the "vanity press" and provide a broader, more profitable platform for authors who don't need the superstructure and processes of a publisher. Embrace the change - and get self-published.

This article originally appeared in my website Cheeky Girls Apartment. Cheeky Girl is shortly to publish the book based on her experiences growing up in the UK, and also including many parts of her romantic life, with guys, and girls. More announcements to come soon.


  If you are interested in becoming a published writer, check out some of my other webpages and articles written. I have also reviewed a self-published poet's book "Toss and Turn" by Marifel Dungo, published on Lulu.com. 


Self-publishing is a great way to cut out the "middle-man" in the publishing equation, and reap more rewards and commissions for yourself.


Cheeky Girl out.

The Facebook Mobile Event on Wednesday Nov 3 - what's happening?

Silicon Valley is where some of the world's biggest and most progressive technology firms in the world bring new products ans ideas to the masses, there is growing interest in a curious new Facebook event planned on Wednesday Nov 3rd. Facebook have been announcing the possible advent of a new technology thought to possibly be either a Mobile Phone of their own, loaded with Facebook features, or an iPad app for Facebook, or the arrival of Facebook Places, an idea that allows Facebook Users to find each other geographically.

A system that will rival the Google Street View technology on Android Phones. While we are trying to guess what Facebook are going to announce, you can bet it will be big. With a Feature film just released "The Social Network" is the most talked about company in the world, even surpassing Larry and Serge. (No, that's not a film, you're thinking of Larry and Chuck!) But whatever announcement it is, it cannot reach fruition without the cooperation of the mobile Phone networks. So is it a Network agreement? One idea coming out is that Facebook has planned some handsets due out after Christmas that will be made by the handset maker INQ which may have enhanced Facebook features. There are two such handsets due in Q1 next year.

Another idea that might be announced at the Facebook Mobile Event on Nov 3rd could well be something called "Facebook Deals". In the USA there are some business partners to Facebook already testing such a service, it allows Facebook users - whether with mobiles or PCs to allow businesses to provides "deals" whenever Visitors check into a Physical store.Think Tom Cruise retail shopping in the film Minority Report.

Read the full article...

"Toss and Turn" by Marifel Dungo - a book review

Every now and then a miracle happens in the world of publishing. A relatively little-known writer of note suddenly manifests herself in such a way that her poetry, though widely read (in this case on Hub Pages) manages to usurp the world of traditional publishing and gets her first poetry collection into print, courtesy of Lulu.com. That poet and Hub Pages writer and scribe of cool Hip-ness is Marifel Dungo, also know as Blais25, and blogger of "Wrong Sent", a blog here on Blogger.

So now Toss and Turn, by Marifel Dungo is a newly published volume of poetry from Hub Pages. She also writes under the non de plume of twentyfive. Toss and Turn represents a selection of her best poetry, some of which are published already on Hub Pages, although some of these poems in her book are new to publication. The LINK with this Blog is for the review of this book, and is a collaborative review by myself - Cheeky Girl and poet Astra Nomik.

I have no idea if writers on Hub Pages ever have had a book review of their subsequent poetry published, but if this is a first, then so be it. Either way, Marifel's poetry represents something new and wonderful in the world of poetry. A warm, unassuming voice full of original ways of looking at love and romance through the lense of wishfulness and desire and longing. We have perhaps all been there. But how many of us have spent our time tossing and turning, and wondering what life had in store for us in the romantic sense of things?

These things and more besides are explored in this 90 page collection of poetry. Marifel has done herself proud. To take the poems from published on the web to published in print is a great accomplishment. And she deserves success.

I have know Marifel for a little over a year now, and one thing I know is that decent warm-hearted people are rare and hard to find. But she is one such woman And I am proud to have her as a friend, and know her as this great poet, with a great style and inflection all of her own. These poems unlock some of her great personality. And she deserves to be widely read. Her book is also available on Lulu as an eBook. Kindle lovers, take note.
You can also scroll down this Blog and check her latest Hub Pages and written articles and poetry. If you'd like a sneak peek of her book, check Fehl Central, her website for her book.

Cassy Mantis. With additional notes by Cathy Nerujen.

Tom Bosley & Bob Guccione pass away - South Park Creators face threats

Tom Bosley, famous actor and star of numerous TV shows and movies died today. He was the famous father figure in many TV shows for decades in the USA and was hugely popular. He starred in "Happy Days" and other shows like "Father Dowling Mysteries", a detective styled priest who solved mysteries that the police could not figure out. He voiced the father character of "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" a quirky but acclaimed carton on U.S. TV, which found popularity in the UK. Tom Bosley, a huge broadway star and Tony Award Winner died at age 83.

And another star of the entertainment world, albeit, and more adult-oriented thread of entertainment - Bob Guccione also passed away today. The owner of "Penthouse" magazine Bob Guccione died today aged 84, after a long battle with cancer. The Penthouse magazine has been notorious for its depiction of women and for it's involvement in soft porn films that include the box-office disaster "Caligula". It was famous for its debauchery and high paid A-list actors who agreed to act in a film daubed "High art with tits".

Guccione pioneered a way of photographing models with soft lighting and filtering using vaseline on glass mounted in front of camera lenses. He preferred "fluffy" fantasy pictures of women idealized and airbrushed to apparent perfection, and he created a look that was prevalent throughout the 1970's and 1980's in magazines, but which eventually went out of fashion.

Have you seen this bear? Apparently many millions already have, and most were not that angered by it. But it certainly irked one American, who warned Trey Parker and Matt Stone that what happened to Theo Van Gogh in Holland might happen to them. The threat didn't go down well in America and the man who made the apparent threat, named Chessler pleaded guilty to 2 counts of inciting people to hatred. This all came about after an episode that supposedly depicted Mohammed wearing a bear suit or costume in one episode. Many people have wondered why the depiction of a bear? Was the bear anything to do with a Woman being sentenced to death for allowing her students name a bear in their classroom after Mohammed? Was this a way of getting the subject out in the open as a way to either get people to talk about it, or just as a way to be notorious? The threats come at a time when Parker and Stone are about to produce a musical about Mormons. Religion is a favorite subject for Parker and Stone to mess around with in South Park. They did it in some years back in the film Team America, when again Muslims were the butt of some jokes before turning attention on the leader of North Korea, as all characters were performed by string puppets. Irony perhaps? Wasn't there a musical episode of South Park some time back, which was all about Mormons? Apparently, there was. Well, it's heading for the stage! Knowing Parker and Stone, it will no doubt get plenty of media attention, as they have a knack of seeking publicity, presumably in the belief that any publicity is good publicity.

Maggie Q - star of Nikita & Die Hard

Maggie Q is known best for her role in the films Mission Impossible 3 with Tom Cruise and Die Hard 4.0, with Bruce Willis. She plays a great Femme Fatale. And for good reason. She looks amazing and is good even when playing the bad character in a film. Now she has stated in her new TV series "Nikita" based on the Film of the same name, and Luc Besson must be a very happy French film Director. Lots of his ideas and stories and characters seem to end up making him piles of money every time someone makes a sequel or spin off of one of this films. Nikita is one such spin off.


Maggie Q is very good in the lead role as the Killer turned Redemptive Game Changer. She seeks to bring down the very organisation that trained her to be an Assassin. Well, here's hoping the series works out well. She is a very sexy lady, and seems to do well, no mater what she acts in. Is that Luck or Talent? Watch it and decide, if you like. I wrote a BIO of Maggie Q, (Including Trailers for Die Hard 4.o and Nikita TV series) and just follow the link if you are a fan. If not...hey follow the link anyway, there's lots of other nice things to read or "view".

Also worth remembering is that Maggie Q spent her formative years as a model in Hong Kong, and she made some films over there. And some are very good, and very ...um ..well kinda sexy! :)
Enjoy the Blog and Viva la Maggie!

Aah, it is great to be home after a break away in Toulon in France. This country is wonderful and very civilised. People are friendly and the food is amazing. Cathy and I loved our stay here and are sorry to be heading back to London. Toulon has to be seen to be believed, and has everything for all couples or families to enjoy there. Check out this video for more info on the beautiful Area of Toulon and Marseille.



The band ABBA are taking action against the Danish far Right party for using one of their famous songs "Mama Mia" and changing it for political purposes  - over to "Mama Pia", and the musicians Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are not impressed. The Swedish band members are not impressed with the Danish for ripping off their music. The Danish People's Party has its roots in the Neo Nazi party in that country. Wow, what am I to think here!

And in the UK, the Labour Party - not back in opposition after leading the UK for the last 11 years - has got itself a new party leader. Ed Milliband has succeeded Gordon Brown,  who was previously very unpopular with the party, and it will be interesting to see how the rank outsider Ed will perform. His older Brother David Milliband who was a Foreign Secretary under Brown used to joke that young Ed used to have to introduce himself as "The Other Milliband". Now Dave will have to use that title himself as Ed takes all the limelight. Power can be a real bitch, can't it? Heh!!! And it's Sunday! Meanwhile I have a press chock full of amazing french food here and a supply of French Coffee to last me into 2011 at least! Bon jour! :D

(The Markets in Toulon provide great shopping here, and food are fresh and always good!)

Books to treasure - try the flavours on my list

Oprah Winfrey has one of the most famous Book Clubs in the World, not just the USA. And some of the books she recommends are truly worth reading. I have been browsing and checking out some titles, and came across this pure Gem. It's "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen, and available on Amazon.
    These books are hugely readable. Franzen is very good at involving his readers in his writing. It's not hard to see how Freedom became a Bestseller on the Oprah Book Club listing. I also recommend the novel "The Corrections" as this is almost as good as the Freedom novel. Enjoy your reading here! Cheers!

The Poet who writes amazing words

My partner is a poet who writes on Hub Pages under the name of Astra Nomik. Astra writes romantic poetry, and often it is about me. For the first time on my blog, I want to champion her poetry here. I have links to her hub pages below on the sidebar, but here is a link to her newest poem, called "Naked and Born".

She has a way of dealing with emotions and her feelings in words that is quite mesmerising...


"...Naked and born – is how I feel now –
Just out of a womb, in the wide open warm
Of the Heat of Your Love – of a Sun that is bright –
In the glad of your smile – in the small fish pond,
Where the water it tingles – and bubbles up nice –
As the ambient yellow electric of life –
It burns me all over and cooks through my soul."

There's more to read, so click the link for the whole poem, if you wish. Enjoy the reading here, and check out some of the titles below, you might like them too. Cheers.



   

Imelda May - this is your Life

Imelda May is to Rockabilly what Elvis is to Rock n Roll. They say the "King" is dead. I think Elvis never left the building - he snuck into the ladies room and put on a skirt and came out as Imelda May. So okay, I am kidding. Or am I? Imelda May is one name that in the crowded world of music - just stands out. She started life as a music buff in love with the old classic songs her parents loved, and she later performed in the Liberties in Dublin - Ireland, where she grew up as a young woman with a passion for old fashioned music that was thought to be long gone out of fashion. The Rockabilly sound was an American invention, and had its day, and some very famous names attached to it. Gene Vincent and Bill Haley to name but some. Now Imelda May has arrived and is giving a somewhat jaded music scene a touch of the new, in the old, but the new - if you know what I mean. But you need to know the full story, so click the link and read away, and enjoy her interview film and music double video ala Jools Holland's show...

 

Making Money from Google Adsense & Amazon Associates

This is part of an article I just wrote about how to make money from Google Adsense and Amazon Ads. Let’s assume that you are the following. You have a Hub Pages account, or an equivalent article on some website you just published and you will write more. Hub Pages or your website builder lets you put ads from Google Adsense, (or in Hub Pages case - Amazon Ads, EBay ads, and Kontera Ads on all your Hub Pages, provided the material you write suits the ads terms. I will deal with Google and Amazon here for now.)


Let’s also assume you are interested in earning income from your Hub Pages or your efforts in creating what it is you put on the Web, in whatever form it takes. Hubs allow you to make money income from the advertising lpaced in the articles you write. When you've made your first $100 like me - this gets very tempting to want to achieve more again! It’s nice to get something back from it all. It helps to justify the efforts. You are thinking of setting up or have already set up a Blog account on Blogger. Reason – you can display Google Adsense Ads and Amazon ads for any Amazon products there too...read the Hub Page article for more...follow the link!

 

I am part of the way through writing a book based on my "Encounters" series of Articles I wrote on Hub Pages. It is partly auto-biographical. It is over 60% complete already. I spend  up to an hour and a half a day to get it all written down and then I'm doing an edit / re-write after that. Then some promo work and off to LuLu.com to get it published! (Link goes to my hub on self-publishing on Lulu.) Big day for moi and my belle Cathy. She guest stars in this paperback adventure naturally! How could she not! Many people have encouraged and made suggestions - most of them from Hub Pages where I write my Hubs. Aaah, thanks Guys & Gals!

I want to thank the many Hubbers and friends who have supported me in this adventure and I appreciate the fans, followers, Facebookers, Myspacers, Bloggers and everyone who has help inspire this. And especially Cathy and Blaise, and Allie and Amber...and you too Art! Again, many thanks, everyone!! :D

Meanwhile, read some of these totally awesome books! You have to start somewhere. 

Why do we need change - why we hate change

I am going to talk about change and how change affects things. Think about this. Why do we have to sometimes change just to be who we really are? When we are trying to be successful or trying to accomplish something in our life, have you ever noticed that one of the first things that happens is that we get told we should not do the thing, or we get asked why we are doing it? And what are we doing it for? Have you ever been a husband or wife in a relationship or someone’s partner and have decided to do something but everyone is telling you not to do it? And they are telling you to leave things the way they are.

Have you ever read the news or watched TV and seen how some bunch of people are agitating against their government  in some far off country, trying to get something done and having to get someone’s attention? Because they are trying to get something changed? What do they all have in common? They are all discovering that people don’t like change. Change can be very precarious. The change business can be intense, challenging, uncomfortable, and can even threaten the status quo in ways many people either don’t want, or just don’t like. The bottom line is – change is seen as bad. Imbalance in things creates change. An imbalance or situation of inequality, or an uncertainty or improbable principle can all cause a desire for change. We can disagree with an idea or ideology and want change as a result. Many things can make change possible. They can be random or ordered.

Our dilemma is in what we ought to do about the thing? Should we just observe the change, make a note of it and do nothing, just leaving our own circumstances generally as they are? Or do we take the other option, and decide to adapt that change into our own circumstance or the position of others and gradually introduce the change so as to improve the group circumstances for others and make things better, provided of course that they are willing to allow it?

Seeing change happen somewhere else and seeing how beneficial it can be is often a great experience. It can be an empowering experience. It can be even frustrating to see how by changing, other people and other systems seem to advance and do better than others. Or do better than us, by moving forward in some way. We are all human. We all want things to change if we see the real benefits. Those benefits can be so many things. And all because someone had the smart idea of changing something, and making things better somehow.

So what happens if other people don’t see it the way we do?  What if they listen and try to imagine, but they just can’t see the possibilities that we see? What do we do then?

Bioshock Infinite - a preview from Cheeky Girl

Bioshock Infinite is due out in 2012, and if you plan some games platform shopping - then I think this will hit the mark. Due on the Playstation and XBox, it sports some fantastic ideas and a weird new idea, a game that hangs in the air, kind of like some versions of Windows back in the old days. (The old days, Cassy?) Some well known names to people in the gaming universe are here. Ken Levine is back, and heading this BioShock project, which takes gameplay skywards in a very new and original way: so the game is set in the early twentieth century, and it involves this psychic lady and "evil steampunk cybullies", and that you probably shouldn’t fall off the edge of this colorful universe, as it's a long way down. The whole game happens high above ground level, affording fantastic views in every outdoor frame. Your character has been sent into this "rogue 1900s Death Star" to locate and recover a woman called Elizabeth. She’s at the center of some sort of oddball freaky situation, and she has magical powers that give her nosebleeds, and you’ll need to work some great solving skills to survive, win and escape. It’ll have more of the same consequence-driven story, although we’ve not sure what those choices will be. (Where's Deus Ex 1 when you need it?)

Game characters are a challenge. Apparently when you run into rooms, you have no idea how game characters treat you, nicely or monstrously - they are monsters graced with human voices. It all feels like those old wild west frontier moments when the hero walks into the bar, but with one hand covering the holstered pistol, just in case. Edge of seat stuff. Mr Levine has done the title proud here, and it's going to be immersive and satisfying. The game satirizes American Imperialism in new ways, and here the setting is in the sky. So no change there then. In actual fact, it is set in an era of an America which actually never existed, yet seems very familiar. Games are best when they try new things and change the formula a bit. Bioshock Infinite is definitely such a game. Check the full review link on my Hub page at the top. It has a trailer, very cool!

Sucker Punch - a movie with girls, guns, robots and leather

Finally Zack Snyder, the man behind the "Watchmen" movie has revealed his next movie, which is now in production. Starring Vanessa Hudgens - fresh from her success in "High School Musical" - she and her mainly female co-stars feature in a fantasy movie about being trapped in a mental asylum, where they have to band together to escape an evil bad guy. It's another brain-twister and effects-laiden film from Snyder, who made Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen.

Want to read a full preview, just follow the link to my Hub Page review of Sucker Punch.

Kosovo gets the green light for Independence

Well, it had to happen eventually and now it has. Kosovo has cleared the way to stepping closer to becoming an independent Nation State. It has been judged by the International Court of Justice that it has breached no laws by applying for independent status from Neighboring Serbia. Serbia (supported by Russia) does not want Kosovo to be independent, but as Kosovo has the support of the USA, Uk and about 70 other major countries, it looks as though international support for Kosovo becoming independent is now closer.

It also opens the possibilities for other small areas in the world that are seeking their own independence and autonomy from other bigger countries to be separate and independent. Asia could see some places become independent nations, as boundaries are drawn in new ways. While Kosovo must draw up its own Declaration of Independence and it's own Constitution and decide what currency and other factors to resolve, that is all part of the joy and challenge of becoming independent. Many countries already want to trade and do business with Kosovo, now that the conflict has ended. Kosovo plans to open 20 new Embassies around the world by the end of 2010. The future for this newest country in Europe looks bright. And naturally, it is one of Europe's newest holiday destinations.

Well done Kosovo.

How to be more assertive - gain more confidence

What are assertive people doing right that others are not doing at all? How do you become more confident? People who have more confidence are more assertive, thus more in control of things. The human mind is an amazing thing. It has such control over our lives. There are at least Three Steps towards becoming more assertive. These steps are proven, and can make a big difference in our lives, our work place with colleagues and customers, in our home lives, in relationships, in education and in parenting. This is all about better emotional health, assertiveness training and about the ability to think clearly. So what do we need to become more assertive? Why do some of us have no confidence, and others do have it? We can discover through learning. There is the Three Step Program, and the Six Techniques to enact and enable. There are some strange new words and terms we will discover, like Self-talk and Assertive Behaviour. And believe me, this is do-able. Click the above link for the full article.

A Video Guide to making money from Google Adsense

There are a lot of people using the internet and some are looking at ways to monetize their sites or blogs. That is understandable. I am one such person. My aim is to make enough money to have my own domain name for my website, and have my own paid-for hosting. Then the sky is the limit! Many people spend a long time reading reams of text and literature to learn how to make money from Google Adsense on Hub Pages. It doesn't need to be this difficult, people! There are other sometimes easier ways to learn how to optimise Adsense and make an income from your website or article page content or Blog. So this article I have written will do just that. This is Cheeky Girl's Video Guide to making money from Google Adsense. I have selected some of the best videos on the net that honestly show you how to do this. Most of what you will learn is in the videos provided. Just click the link to this posting and you will be taken to the article. If you would even like to leave a comment, that would be nice!

Cheeky Girl

Can a person make money from Clickbank?

Clickbank has for a while now, been a source of income for many people and it provides an alternative way to generate money from the internet, or rather - make money from selling things on the internet. Except that it does not involve selling. Here in our blogs or websites, we tend not to hear much about Clickbank, since the emphasis is mostly on Google Adsense, Amazon, eBay and Kontera. Google rule the roost as far as earning money from the internet is concerned, with Amazon coming in behind it. But I am amazed by the number of people out there who ask - "Clickbank, who are they? Are they a bank?"

How does Clickbank work then? Well, imagine going into a shopping mall and looking at the things that are for sale. Most people buy them by putting the stuff they want in a shopping cart and taking it to the cash till or check out and paying for it. On Clickbank, you are setting up a web page (it can be any kind of web page) where the product or products will be displayed, complete with photo, description and details, and of course the price. When the buyer comes along on your page and decides to buy, they click on the item in question and proceed to a check out where they process how they pay for it and presto, they receive it, usually via the internet or email. EBooks are sold over the net this way, as is music, and movies, and other items. So the products are Digital. Clickbank is easy to use and free to join. You will make money of up to 50% of what the item costs. It depends on what Clickbank set the price at. The beauty of Clickbank is that you can sell things that someone else wants sold - so you sell other people's goods and make a commission on each sale. You do not have to be the one who makes the product. So yes, you can sell stuff that others are selling.

I have created an online article complete with videos - for anyone who would like to know more about how to earn a few extra bucks from the internet. If making money is not your thing, no worries. I just hope the videos help explain a few things about Clickbank. Click the link to go to the page.

Cheeky Girl

Will the next Philippine leader be an Aquino again?

Well, it looks like the fragile state of the Philippines could be about to get another bit of family history written into the book. Benigno "NoyNoy" Aquino the son of Cory Aquino, the former president of the country - is currently leading the votes, having taken 40% so far. Former actor Joseph Estrada is trailing behind on 26%, and I doubt that he can pull ahead of Aquino. Senator Villar has about 14%. In another weird and interesting development, three quarters of the Philippines population came out to vote too, that beats the turn out for the vote for the British Prime Minister we are trying to get now. Maybe if more people voted here in the UK, we wouldn't have this danged Hung parliament. We should take a leaf from the Philippine people's book!

The Aquino idea and theme to his campaign is to clean up Philippine politics. I admire that! I wish more countries would follow suit. Having visited this beautiful and unusual country, I must say that Filipinos deserve a break and deserve good leadership. Their country is on the list of the TEN next most promising countries who's economies could very well take off. It is a troubled history that the country has, and it needs to turn a corner in its trials and life. Even Manny Pacquiao the world champion boxer is trying for politics, as is Imelda Marcos, wife of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the man who was linked to the assasination of "NoyNoy's" father, Benigno Aquino Senior, who was killed in the airport that is now named in his honor. Lets hope for good things for this democratic nation!

So did Apple mess up the Apple iPad

Apple are known for making smart decisions and doing the right thing most of the time. it is not often that Apple gets it wrong. Apple makes the iPod, the iPhone, the beautiful iMac, and now the iPad. And it is responsible for iTunes - the amazing beast that has tamed the music buying world, by being the world's no.1 music site on the web. So when Apple decide on a new change that will affect us all, it should be a good change, right? It should be something that will make us happier and more productive. Not the opposite. So it seems that Apple has now actually made a blunder - and it's with the Apple iPad that the mess is clearly showing, and Apple need to fix the problem with the Apple iPad. What problem is that, I hear you ask.

The problem is - it does not display Flash animation. Flash is what most ads that appear on the web use to great effect to advertise products and services. Some videos are shown in flash. Some flash enabled websites will not be visible on an iPad. And that's not all...

Has the Icelandic Dust cloud helped Global warming?

I just wrote this article and so far, I got some interesting feedback. A lot of people out there don't buy the current Global warming crap and have various reasons for not believing. Although this article is about the dust cloud currently wafting its way over Europe, it is an environmental article too. Please read it and see what you think. Form your own opinion, that is allowed here!

MP3 MUSIC FOR FREE

Well, what is the world coming to? Free music being offered by this Cheeky Girl? Surely not! You are kidding? Er, no. I am serious. I am giving away 4 free songs on my website that I manage on weebly. The link is listed here and all you do is click the link, scroll down the page past all the music review paragraphs, and read the instructions on how to download and keep for free and forever the 4 tracks on MP3 there. The guitar song really has impressed people. They are all asking who the artist is. I do actually mention who he is elsewhere in the website. You gotta dig around to find him. he is planning a web page soon, but has kindly allowed me to be the first person in the world to show off his marvels in all their glory. Oh, behave! I don't mean THAT! You sick people! Heh!

Enjoy the music!
Cassy.

I love this part

The Pussycat Dolls. Remember them. Wow, A few months ago we were all singing the songs and life was wonderful. Now they are breaking up, and it looks like Nicole will the last Woman Dancing. Well, she could sing pretty good. I see she can really dance well too! She is a great mover.

 I am delighted to see that she is doing well in the TV show. But what is happening with the rest of the Dolls? Well, I wrote this article that tells all.

Happy Easter to everyone from Cheeky Girl!

New Music Links to bands and music

The Bands Beach House, Air, Zero Seven are all very successful groups in their own right, and they don't normally share the same web space. In this new web page, they do. And they are joined by the Pussycat Dolls and by Charlotte Gainsbourg and Sia Furler, forme collaborator with Zero Seven. They are part of a relatively new wave of groups and artists who have made big gains in popularity in recent years. Though the Pussycat Dolls are disbanding and might only reform as Nicole Scherzinger and some new singers in tow, mostly - these artists will endure, thanks to a simple thing they all have in common.


Great songwriting talent. These links take the reader or music aficionado  to some great places, and incur some biographies, discographies and links to band and group web sites. And to round off,  they have music videos to help illustrate just how well they endure. Enjoy.

Cheeky Girl.

The Pussycat Dolls are breaking up - sad

Is it true? Are the Pussycat Dolls finally about to disband or will they reform? It’s the question that has been asked by everyone who loves this successful 5 girl, sorry 6 girl – hang on – no, a 1 girl band? Though not really a band, PCD are a group that have sometimes seen their membership rise and fall faster than an index on Wall Street - as women arrive, then quit soon after. How come? Why is there such a high turnover of women in The Pussycat Dolls?  What is really going on inside one of the world’s most successful girl groups? And how did they manage to succeed with a great line up of singles and  2 hit albums, yet – like a business firm - fall apart amid a slew or resignations? So what is going on? Guess it’s time for your scribe Cheeky Girl to check out the gorgeous Pussycat Dolls. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

So I did. I wrote an article about it, and you can click the link above to read it...

Another week, another Blog

Aaah yes, it's the weekend, and I am happy to be relaxing after a busy and trying week. And ashamed to have been neglecting my Blog. Another new Hub is imminent, and I am planning another after that again. More to follow...

A web article to get you thinking

She is sexy, she is sassy. She is Danielle Lloyd, but what is she doing here? I just wrote an article about her and her illustrious career so far. From the booting from the Big Brother House to Teddy Sherringham, to the present - it's all here...

What a gal!

Cathy & Me

Cathy is settling in - she has managed to take over most of my wardrobe. Where the hell does she get all these clothes? She could shop for England! She has a zillion pairs of shoes, a million pairs of socks. Men wear socks. Why is she wearing so many socks? She has thousands of pairs of jeans, most of them are in tatters. She has more shoes than Imelda bloody Marcos. I think I will have to do something radical about this.

Neither of us are smokers, thank goodness. She is a dreamer, and she likes being creative. We love snuggling in the settee watching movies. She hates watching the news. News is a bad thing and like horror porn or whatever, she just will not look at it. Too "negative". She likes my stuff. She can fit into most of my clothes but not my pants cos her ass is big. Not that I complain. It's more to hold!

I am getting resident genius artist You Know Who to do her portrait, we will see it finally this weekend! I am so excited! She is glum about the job thing, but I am earning more than enough. She has totally cleaned out her old bedroom in her folks house.

So it is final. Cathy is bedded down in NW10. Wehey!

Falling in Love - why does it happen when we least expect it

I have to confess, the past few months have been the best of my life. I have met an amazing lady who has stole my heart, and it all happened so unexpectedly. At a time and place when I least expected it to happen, Cathy suddenly appeared in the same place and we met and it was pretty instant. We have been together since ten, and things couldn't be better.

We are planning our first long holiday abroad together and it will be romantic. She is excited and a wee bit nervous, but it is all new to her. She has had to battle her own demons, being a girl who has just come out.

Plenty of people can relate to what she is going through, and I am so thankful that she has still got most of her closest friends her still. Her parents were particularly amazing. It was when I arrived on the scene that things warmed a bit, then a bit more and then more. I admit there is a way to go still, but things are good now.

Anyone who faces anything similar to this should checkout my hub on "first-encounters" (see the link. Peace