Punctum Day - 19th August

iStockphoto, one of the leading stock royalty free online sites with over 60,000 registered contributors and designers and over 5 million files in its library is organising its annual Punctum Day Awards. This contest is open to all contributors who provide material, be they photos, vectors, sound files, flash files or even designs to the library.

Punctum Day gives the contributors, designers and registered members of iStockPhoto.com to vote for what they feel was the best of the year in all the categories available. The winner of each category wins 5000USD which would be a lovely present for the hard work that goes into producing all the stunning images on file.

The images in my portfolio too are eligible, and I would be jumping with joy even if I get just one vote. Maybe on the file shown below, which is my highest rated file out of all in my portfolio:

So, if there are any iStockers out there who haven't heard of Punctum Day yet... check it out and place your vote!

Stock Photography

Click on the banners to view my portfolios:

No conclusion about pandemic jab as flu infects 6,500 people

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090515/world-news/no-conclusion-about-pandemic-jab-as-flu-infects-6-500-people

Swine Flu.....

The Pandemic? Is it or isn't it?

Reading the attached article issued in the Times of Malta of today 15th May 2009 I was surprised to see the high number of people who sadly succumb to seasonal flu every year. Flu has always been an ilness that can be quite serious if not taken care of as I discovered a few years back, but on the whole it used to limit itself to the annoying delibatating symptoms and cash for medicines.

I must admit, though, that since I began taking the flu jab every year I have been lucky and have not gone down with any bad strain that has effected me badly! Touch wood, fingers crossed and all that. Yet not everyone is lucky enough to have medical services so close at hand and thus the high mortality rate. Yet in this day and age I would not have imagined such a large number falling victim to the flu.

Now, to add spice to it all we have the Swine Flu outbreak - an outbreak which seems to be mirroring the bird flu outbreak of a few years ago and which petered out after a while. Will Swine Flu take the same course? Will it just peter out into oblivion and become another of the various strains of flu that afflicts us humans every year?

Is it, as some have suggested, just a ruse to make sales for the big pharmaceutical companies? I don't think so myself.... as I doubt the WHO or even the CDC would go along with that.

The Apparition

Inspired by a dream sometime ago came the following:


The Apparition

With eyes so captivating,
enslaving all who catch their twinkle.
And a smile most enchanting
that will thaw the coldest heart
and brighten the darkest night.
Thus did she appear
in her stunning blue shift.
So dainty - so sheer.

Her light blond hair caught the light,
a halo of gold, a splash of sunset
framing her features in a warm embrace,
as she glided towards me to rest
her petite hand on my arm.
Her skin so soft and silky smooth
sent shivers of surging energy
threading through my entire body.

Long fingers of warmth spread,
coursing through every vein and every artery
searching, seeking the darkness.
That cold black hole - black thorny ice
that has long chilled my heart.
Warmth to banish the chill.
Silky smoothness to blunt the thorns.
Beauty to replace the empty hole.


© Mike
April 2009

Illuminaria

Yesterday evening the Illuminaria Exhibition was inaugurated. An exhibition of photos by 24 budding photographers - all past or present pupils of Kevin Casha. The inauguration, the exhibition, the fact of having 4 of my photos printed and exhibited in public are all new and wonderful experiences for me. The fact that the inauguration was a great success and well attended, and all the images receiving warm praise from the guests makes the experience all the more sweeter. Yet, best of all was my personal experience of having some of the most important people in my life there to share in this event with me - my parents, my sisters - albeit one in stick form, and two very good friends - Kate and Malcolm!

I had taken the day off to be relaxed and take things easy... though as I started to prepare for the event in the evening I started to feel nervous. Why should I be nervous? After all, everything is done and ready... all the images are up and hanging and all the work is done and ready. So why the nerves? It is something new... that must be it, and the fact that I tend to get nervous about public events like this anyway. Suit? right.... of course - smart being the dress code for such events and with good reason. Shirt... hmm which? It was a battle between two choices - a maroon shirt - beautiful piece of clothing, smart and very rich looking, or a yellow shirt - smart too, but also quite loud -

 more of a statement I think. With these there was a choice of two ties also. One maroon which complimented the maroon shirt perfectly and one which portrayed Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. I think it was the tie that decided the attire in the end as I thought that Van Gogh fitted

better for an arty event as the Inauguration. 

Now.... that bit of detail decided on I quickly got ready, had a bath, got my shock of hair under control with loadsa gel and shot off to Valletta and the Exhibition venue - No. 68, Sta Lucia Street, Valletta! Very easy to find really! Work your way towards Cafe Jubillee and keep on walking down that street... you will notice the No. 68 banner soon after. 

Arriving at the venue at about 6.45pm I found a few of the photographers already there milling around while the caterers offloaded all their food and beverages. Kevin Casha, as mastermind and curator of the event was also there in the thick of things as usual and finalising the last few details. At 7.30pm the guests started to arrive and at about 8.30pm a short introductory speech was given. After that the food and wine started flowing with the noise level slowly but surely increasing as the chatter became more animated and bustley. With somewhere close to 150 people in those rooms it was not surprise that the noise levels were high, but it made life difficult - for me at least - to hold a proper conversation. Ah well... it was great and a lovely experience. At about 9.30pm I left and joined my friends for a snack at 2 22 just down from No. 68 and had a good time there too which was then topped off with some invigorating exercise at Kate and Malcolm's place using their Wii Fit gadget!!

Thank you all for coming yesterday and please tell all your friands about the exhibition - we will be open for public viewing from today 1st May until Friday 15th May.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=53327513159

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Sugar? No thanks, We’re Maltese.

A short story by Mike Gatt (that’s me by the way!)
--------------------------------------------------------------

 

Part 5 – Final Blogisode!

 

One evening, many months into the sanction, John and Dave were sitting in front of that same TV that announced the bad news. Dave seemed uncharacteristically calm and collected and John ventured to mention something that had been bothering him for sometime.

“It doesn’t add up” he blurted, very much out of the blue.

“Huh” was Dave’s usual dreamy reply, barely audible.

“Think about it Dave, the world edict that set off this total isolation of our tiny country was meant to protect the innocent right?”

“Yeah, kinda like a disincentive to those with grandiose ideas” was Dave’s dreamy reply.

John blinked hard and took a long look at his mate, sort of to confirm that it was still the same person as he hadn’t had any coherent responses from Dave for ages, most of the times Sugar managed to worm itself into the argument, whether it was relevant or not.

“Ok, right, so why are we, the innocent, allowed to suffer like this because of one man? Much protection we’re getting here” John felt he had a right to a gripe of his own once in a while, especially after all he had put up with these past months. Dave’s ranting on about the lack of sugar was incessant and sometimes totally maniacal. With all the basic necessities running dangerously low Dave had actually managed to whip up enough fervour among a sizeable number of the population and staged a street protest with banners blaring slogans such as: Sugar? We have none, out with George “D” or get us some.

Oh hell, how corny could we get? Ahhh the lack of sugar must be effecting our intelligence.

Dave seemed to have wandered off into oblivion again and John’s eyes were getting heavy… sugar seemed such an unimportant thing before, yet now it has taken on the mantle an all important commodity, an essential to life on the same level as water. There were black-marketeers who were selling the stuff by the grain. Not even cocaine had ever reached such sky high prices. And to think, Dave had once wanted to open a Sugar Museum. The thought of it made John feel dizzy! Say they had gone into the idea, just imagine the flow of cash they would be receiving now if they were to sell the stuff by the grain!! Or rather, the riots they would have to deal with as they tried to keep looters off their property. Yep, that seemed a more likely scenario.

Someone started tapping John on his shoulder, but he didn’t feel like stirring as he was slowly dropping off into a blissfully forgetful sleep.

The tap continued and seemed very insistive……

Valletta, 12^th November 2035 (later)

“Wake up Johnny; you’ve been blabbering to yourself like a madman!”

John opened his eyes and saw a big nose looming up in front of him. As his eyes focused better he realized it was Dave’s nose and just above that he could see Dave’s amused eyes looking down at him!

“Ugh… I must have dropped off! What time is it?” John murmured.

“Time for us to leave old chap… Joey is shutting down and I am expected home soon!” Dave informed him as he stifled a giggle.

“So much for the Sugar Days!” John replied with a sheepish smile…

 

 

THE END!!

© Mike Gatt

Sugar? No thanks, We’re Maltese!

A short story by Mike Gatt (that’s me by the way!)
--------------------------------------------------------------

 

Part 4

 

John grudgingly had to admit that he had a point there, but his actions spoke too loudly of a dictatorial leaning. And recently a joint committee of world leaders had issued an edict in which they declared total, zero tolerance towards any sort of Dictatorship. This edict being backed up with calls for all countries to impose a 100% sanction on any form of dealing with the offending state.

“Dave?” John looked over at his mate who had gone pasty white and very quiet. Obviously Dave must have read up on the edict and its consequences and must have been imagining the downfall of his Demerara Palace  before it was even built.

“DAVE!!” John had to shout to get through the  trance, “Snap out of it mate, you haven’t lost anything yet and anyway we might get lucky and this whole nonsense gets blown over.”

“Haven’t lost yet?” Dave seemed hysterical, “where you not watching? Everyone seems to have gone ape over this “D” chap and if he gets his way we are going to be isolated” as always Dave saw the blacker side of things.

“Not yet Dave, and ……”

“John,” Dave cut John off mid-sentence, “look at the TV, look outside… how can you say that? Not yet my ass” with eyes on fire Dave glared at his mate and sucked a gallon of air into his lungs.

“You’ve heard about his ideas on politics I’m sure” Dave continued, and as if on cue a Breaking News item was flashed on to the TV screen.

‘PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET DECLARED GUILTY OF TREASON AGAINST THE NATION. GEORGE “D” ASSUMES FULL CONTROL OF PARLIAMENT AND MILITARY’

“oh god….” Dave’s hysterics seemed justifiable. John just sat there staring blankly at the screen. How long, John was thinking, before the world catches on with the events here and imposes the sanctions on tiny Malta. Damn.. Dave was right, we are going to be isolated.

The room was deathly quiet, even the news presenter on tv seemed to be whispering and the noise from the streets had mysteriously become very muted. The afternoon light was fading and the room was becoming very dark as John hadn’t bothered with lights as they charged in earlier giving the room a gloom worthy of the waryness in his heart. Glancing out of the window John noticed that the throngs of people were still milling about but they seemed unsure, confused, about something. The latest breaking news must have brought their Castle-in-the-sky crashing down as the earlier news brought Dave’s Demerara Palace down.

The nightmare played itself out and within a few days the gauntlet of the Sanctions crashed down on the island state. A tough and arduous time seemed to loom ahead especially as Dave seemed to have flipped! The destruction of his sugar plans taking on a completely melodramatic importance.

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to pop in next week for Part 5 and the final installment of this short story……………………………………….

Sugar? No thanks, We're Maltese!

A short story by Mike Gatt (that's me by the way)
---------------------------------------------------------------

 Part 3

The days rolled by and although both John and Dave were unemployed they still managed to be busy much of the time. Finances, somehow, never seemed to be much of a worry to them though as they both picked up odd jobs here and there which helped them stay afloat. Almost a week had passed since Dave first mentioned the Sugar Project and John still had not pronounced any verdict on it. Predictably impatient, Dave called and insisted they meet up to discuss the idea. An hour later they were sitting at a bar, John with a pint of his favourite stout and Dave, as usual, moongazing over the top of his unopened bottle of water (whether there was a moon to gaze at or not doesn’t matter). Dave had spent the first 40 minutes expounding the nitty gritty of his plan and now, slightly shell shocked, John was mulling it over.

Sugar!! Yep, that was the pillar of the plan. Dave somehow planned to create a Sugar Museum. Who, and this is what really bothered John, would ever want to visit a Sugar Museum? Oh well, that’s Dave for you… another wild plan in the coffers. It took John all day plus some to finish off that pint. He can’t be serious, John was thinking.

“As I said last time Dave, I gotta think this over.” Trying to buy time though John hated putting Dave and his ideas down.

“Hmmph” grunted Dave as he continued to gaze at nothing. 

Suddenly a whole commotion roared up in the streets and many of the people in the bar were getting up with questioning glances at each other and were working their way towards the windows to try and get a view of what the cause could be.

“What the heck is going on out there?” John shouted at no one in particular, yet Dave seemed not to have noticed. Still caught up in his musings about Sugar as he was. John had to grab at his arm and drag him along as he shoved his way towards the door and outside.

A mass of humanity surged and toiled up the street, all shouting and gesticulating like an angry mob. This cacophony of noise and the chaotic scenes brought Dave back to earth.

“Hello? What’s this all about? He called, but all ignored him as they trudged on as if in a trance.

“Quick, lets get back to my place, maybe there’s something on the news..” John screamed into Dave’s ear to be heard.

“Righto” Dave mouthed back and they squeezed their way down the road to John’s small flat. Along the way they managed to pick up a few scraps of information but the general feeling was that no one really knew what was going on. George “D” it seems was the instigator of all the ruckus.

After a short fumble for the keys John and Dave burst into the cramped flat and charged for the TV. All the local news networks were awash with conflicting reports but the general them was the same – George “D” had masterminded a coup and the Prime Minister and most of his cabinet were locked up pending trial. This “D” chap was the perfect hypocrite in John’s eye as while he claimed to embrace democracy and its values he would then go on to declare that politics and politicians were the curse of democracy.

 

 

 

Part 4 next week...... keep tuned to catch the next instalment!

Sugar? No thanks, We're Maltese.

A Short Story by Mike Gatt (that's me by the way!)

Part 2

 Naxxar, 6^th May 2003

---------------------------------------------------------------------

A beautiful spring morning was shattered by the shrill peal of the telephone. No matter how much John tried to ignore it the phone rang on imparting a sense of urgency that could only be attributed to David. With a groan John fell out of the bed and staggered across the room silently cursing and willing the phone to go silent before he reached it.

“ooomf…” he yelled as he stubbed his toe while reaching out for the phone, “Yes?” he said gruffly.

“Hi John, good morning to you too!” was the typically jovial reply from Dave, “I’ve got some very exciting news for you” he rushed on without giving John a chance to slip a sarcastic retort for being woken up at such an ungodly hour.

The reek of Dave’s excitement was palpable even over the phone and John soon calmed down. Pulling the chair closer he sat down with a huff and sighed into the receiver.

“Oh Dave, come on, what is it this time? Not quite exasperated he was, but how many projects had Dave embarked upon over the years? All, mind you, more exciting then the previous one.

Yet another sigh escaped from John’s mouth.

“Really John, you should have more belief in my efforts, anyway this time it’s a whopping idea, no silly get-rich-quick scheme believe me!”

“Business? Business?? With the politics of the country in upheaval? Come on Dave!” There is a limit to my patience John thought, why must Dave always be so naïve about life.

“Hey, slow down a sec… listen up and then think it over, do your research or whatever and let me know!”

Silence..

“Ok??” Dave had to insist..

Still more silence as John tried to gather his wits and think of what could be so exciting this time round.

“Shoot… tell me about it” he eventually said and Dave launched himself into a description, flowery as ever’ of this wonderful opportunity he had stumbled across. Or maybe merely dreamed up during one of his weird hallucinatory periods.

Sugar! His plan revolved around sugar. Well it had its merits, John mused, it was a unique idea. Yet with all the political upheaval going on, that madman George “D” as he liked to call himself, seemed to be gaining popularity throughout the country. And Dave develops a damn sweet tooth!

John considered this George “D” chap a sort of miniature dictator. His speeches were full of the oratory bombastic ness typical to dictators of the past during which he would whip up his listeners to a feverish frenzy. His rhetoric was all about Nationalism, Pride of country, Glory for the flag etc etc and his style seemed appealing to the population. John feared for the future should this man be voted into office. David, on the other hand, seemed totally oblivious, always the dreamer who was seeking ways of self-betterment. How many projects had Dave come up with over the years?? Ah, too many to count and this one could be just another dud….. or is it? Enough beating around the bush, John told himself, as he realized that he had just daydreamed a full hour away.

 

Part 3 next week........................