A few weeks ago I burned a little midnight oil and, hunched over this very keyboard, wrote a little story about The Last Climate Denier in New Zealand. If you were to think that it was a tad satirical, you would not be wrong. It’s a sad story, set in a parallel universe that bears a striking resemblance to The Burning World, and was my entry in this year’s Royal Society of NZ Manhire Prize (fiction section). Now I learn that by some strange misjudgement my short story finds itself in the shortlist for the prize. I can’t publish the story here until after it loses (which will be late November), but in the meantime you can download it here. It’s a two hankie story, so be prepared…
[The superb Mavis Staples.]
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
And me.
As an Aussie, I was momentarily nonplussed by the idea of an industrial milking facility on the corner – this may mystify guests from other nations – and then I remembered: ‘dairy’ = ‘milk bar’ (eastern australia) and ‘deli’ (SA – from delicatessen, and, yes, I accept that’s probably even more confusing!) ‘Corner/convenience store’ = universal equivalent.
But I’m sure Australians could look forward to exactly the same warm welcome they’ve granted to the huddled and desperate from overseas*… hang on – wait a minute…
*concentration camps on tiny Pacific islands. Sadly, I kid you not.
The Dairy? Nek Minute
(Bill – FYI this is a piece of iconic Kiwi culture, I kid you not)
Black – but well said – a win would be awesome – good luck!
“Mayor Bloomberg reports 911 is receiving 10000 calls per half-hour” (that’s a full order-of-magnitude above normal.)
Those curious about the future can currently glue themselves to the wire services for a taste.
It will be worse.
Others might like to look up the distinction between ‘type one’ and ‘type two’ errors, and ponder how anything calling itself ‘conservatism’ ever became wedded to the latter…
and then there is the type 3 judgement error: ‘I don’t like the look of this, therefore it must surly be wrong… now lets prove it so…..’ 😉
A moment of Dugh! for the type 3 (or 2) climate change deniers:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A6d8yBhCcAET-QT.jpg
😉