Now unless you are familiar with Russian or Slavic folklore you perhaps haven’t heard of the downright scary Baba Yaga.  Described as a haggish witch-like creature, Baba Yaga flies around in a giant mortar using the pestle as a rudder and sweeping away her tracks with a broom made of silver birch.

Her main past time is kidnapping young children (who said take-away dinner was a new invention?). Her log cabin house-o-horrors stands on dancing chicken legs, surrounded by a palisade with a skull resting atop each pole.

Now, if that isn’t enough to keep you from stopping by for a visit (remember curiosity killed that poor puddy cat) – the keyhole on the front door is filled with razor sharp teeth. Baba Yaga doesn’t go in for the whole white picket fence look either. Instead, you’re met with a fence made of human bones, with spaces ready for the skulls of those who try to “hero” her out of existence.

One myth does allude to a magical phrase that must be uttered before admittance is granted: “Turn your back to the forest, your front to me”- so hopefully, you wouldn’t do a Hansel and Gretel and end up in the cooking pot through pure blunder.

In some tales her little horror hut is also connected to three horsemen: one in white, riding a white horse with a white harness, who is Day; a red rider, who is the Sun; and one in black, who is Night. Baba Yaga is served by invisible servants inside the hut. She explains the riders if asked, but may kill a visitor who inquires about the servants. Amazingly, there is some good press for poor old Baba out there.

Other tales actually describe her as a force of guidance – there are some stories where she does help with people’s quests. The overall warning is that seeking her help is still a mighty dangerous act – who knows what payment she will extract in return? Emphasis is placed on the need for proper preparation before you even think of seeking her out – and a purity of spirit and minding your best manners. It is said Baba ages one year for each question, so the price must be high. She can reverse the added years with a special blend of tea made from blue roses.

Baba Yaga has had her story retold over and over in not just old folk stories but the modern media as well. She appears in the following comics: Uncanny X-Men, Sandman and Hellboy. She also scored a hefty role in Orson Scott Card’s Enchantment,  Michael Buckley’s  The Sisters Grimm series and the Primeval: Extinction Event novel by Dan Abnett. [Kim Wilkins’s Rosa & the Veil of Gold features a pretty terrifying Baba Yaga sequence, too-Ed.].

So my advice to you- if you ever wander upon a house in a deserted forest- RUN. You never, never know.

MUSIC: The Hut of Baba Yaga – Mussorgsky

When Baba's cooking, pass on the borscht!

Hey there geeks and geekettes! Phil here back to bring you the most interesting tidbits the Internet has to offer. For this month, I bring you the awesomeness and absolute necessity that are cell phones. Thanks to all the choices out there, getting one just got harder. This is where I step in 🙂

There are so many different types to choose from. For starters, you’ve got your vanilla run-of-the-mill phone, which makes/receives calls and allows for simple texting (I say ‘simple’ since they don’t have a full keyboard). If you’re on a budget or if what you’re looking for is something to make calls with, this is it. There are plenty of brands that offer simple models, such as Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc. And the best part is these are usually offered free when you go for a plan with the carrier. There are plenty of prepaid options too which also offer simple models.

If you’re going for the big guns, then you want smartphones. These aren’t just phones, they’re pocket-sized computers. Not only can you text and take pics, you also have full access to the ‘Net from it. That means you can use Twitter, Facebook, play awesome games, record High Def video, check movie times, buy stuff on Amazon, talk to grandma, AND order a pizza in less than three minutes! Now that’s multitasking! Well, for me anyway.

Just as I stated on my first blog, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to tech. Even more so with cell phones than e-readers. I’ve put together a list for your reading pleasure. Note: Because there are SO many choices, I’ve chosen the best ones for each carrier. Keep in mind that even if they’re running the same software, the performance will vary.

iPhone 4 – We all know of this one. With its gorgeous high resolution retina display and its 1Ghz A4 processor, this generation iPhone has quickly become one of the most sold cell phones in the world market today. Now available in white or black and in 16 or 32Gb versions. If you’re on a budget you can still pick up the 3GS, the previous generation iPhone, for much less.

You can pick any of these from Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Virgin Mobile and Three.

If the iPhone isn’t your cup of tea when it comes to smartphones, there’s still plenty left to go. Quickly becoming the most used platform on this market is Android, Google’s phone software. Contrary to the Apple platform, Android is open source. This means that ANYONE can develop for it, regardless of age, education or job.

Here’ s a list of the little robots that caught my eye:

• The Motorola Atrix from Telstra
• Google’s very own Nexus S on Vodafone and Three
• Samsung’s brand spankin new Galaxy S II on Optus
• The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play on Virgin Mobile

There’s still loads more that I haven’t mentioned here, so be sure to check them out!

Until next time!

Phil

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter!

‘K! I’ve been having ‘when I was a young girl’ moments lately but I really think I’m justified.

I generally have stopped watching shows for Young Adults on TV because well, in my opinion, they suck.

There was a time when there were FANTASTIC shows for teens on the telly. Like, I mean, it was interesting, it was made in Australia and the acting was brilliant. The plotlines were imaginative and quite a few were of a sci fi fantasy nature, others dealt with striving for your dreams. Very important for all growing minds.

I would like to introduce you to a series that was shot in 1990. Yes, that was the last millennium.

Elly and Jools httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu5Q_JmhI9g&feature=related

was a fun and mildly spooky TV show.  It was directed by Karl Zwincky and shot in various locations around New South Wales.

IMDB is a great place to find stuff out and here’s their synopsis of Elly and Jools… Jools Traveller moves with his parents to a struggling farm they purchased in the countryside. Making it easier on the move is a ghost that reveals herself to him only, a girl named Elly Lockett, who died mysteriously in the 19th century. Also making life interesting are the wacky neighbors, the O’Farrell family.

The supernatural hadn’t really been handled in kids TV, other than “monsters under the bed” and parents telling us there was “no such things as ghosts”. This series was the very beginning of taking the usual stuff we were watching and turning it into a superb example of why Aussie-made TV was worth watching – even if you were under the age of twenty.

You may have seen quite a few of the actors in many, many series since this one. Some names are larger than life and others have fallen into obscurity. Rebecca Smart has been on Heartbreak High and Water Rats. Damon Herriman has since been in some big deal stuff: CSI, House of Wax and Breaking Bad. Anne Tenney, who will always live in many hearts as Molly Jones, has been on Always Greener and Headland.

The main thing for me was the fact it was a wonderful escape from the daily drudgery of life in 1990.  The kids weren’t always rude and there was an innocence between Elly and Jools that would be slaughtered if an attempt was made to ‘modernise’ the series. It was a snapshot of the year 1990 and it was beautiful.

I’ll continue with my nostalgia in future instalments. Hope you don’t mind.

I’m a huge fan of a well-built world in the books I read. I love jumping in feet first, deep into an unknown culture, where everything is different; the language, the people, the clothing, the food, where a chair is not always just a chair and anything can and does happen.

All writers spend time and effort on building a believable world to set their story in, even if it’s a story set right here on earth in 2011 at your local high school. But it’s those worlds that are so different to our own that I admire so much. To pull a reader into their made-up world and suck us in, to want to be there as well-loved characters tell their stories – well, that’s a real skill, something not all authors are able to pull off successfully.

Burn Bright is an awesome example of successful world building. We can all imagine through Retra’s eyes the clubs, the churches, the landscape of Ixion. But that’s not all that goes into building a fantastical world. Think about the Gangs, the Night Creatures, the Ripers and the Uthers. So much goes into an author’s thought process, the linking of all these elements. Would Retra’s journey to Ixion touch our hearts in quite the same way if we couldn’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in the strict, suppressed Seal compound? Of course not. All these tiny pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together to build a world so many of us loved (and can’t wait to get back to again!)

Along with Burn Bright, some of my favourite worlds to get lost in between pages include Karen Brooks’ Venetianesque Serenissima in The Curse of the Bond Riders trilogy (Tallow book 1 and Votive, book 2 are both available now). It’s a place full of secrets and canals, danger and magic.

Alison Goodman’s duology EON and EONA are set in a land full of elemental magic in an alternative ancient China / Japan. Not only has Goodman given us the landscape and the magic, but characters that tell the beautiful (and sometimes horrific) story and history of her world.

In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy, we’re faced with a dystopian world where teens are forced to fight to the death as entertainment for Big Brother and the masses.

And in Isobelle Carmody’s classic Obernewtyn Chronicles, we are thrust into a complex land of politics, religion, Misfits and heroes. Carmody’s world in particular is just incredible in its depth and attention to detail over many years and volumes.

What about those worlds that are just a step to the left, a little off centre? Think Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, where the Fey live among us, here and now in the contemporary world. The same goes for Holly Black’s White Cat and of course… JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books – it’s a world that exists right under the noses of us mere Muggles. These stories might be set in the ‘real’ world, but they also have their own mythology, their own rules that each author has to write, and then abide by. In turn, we, as readers, reap the benefits of all this hard work and wonderful imagination.

So tell me, what are some of your favourite fictional worlds to get lost in? Do you prefer the futuristic, the completely fantastical, the dystopian (the nightmare world) or the utopian (the ideal society)? Do you sometimes think: Huh? Where did that come from? Or do your favourite authors sweep you along for the ride, their worlds so well described and established that you can’t help wishing you were there too?

It’s going to be a pretty crummy cold and rainy weekend. I’ve got go out and
get some stuff done, but while I’m out I’ll be on the hunt for some
things to make the days bearable. Here are some of my tips you may find
helpful.

Tea – Whatever your favourite variety is, tea is a wonderful way to
spend a few down time moments warming up.  The anti-oxidants and the
relaxing effect make tea a brilliant way to make those cruddy days
manageable.

I had the most beautiful tea experience on Mother’s day with blooming
tea from Cherry Blossoms flowering Teas (FB link)

“Flowering teas, also known as blooming teas, performance teas, and
display teas are hand-sewn individual tea leaves. When placed in hot
water, they bloom into flowers while infusing your beverage with
antioxidants and refreshing green tea.”

Use a glass tea pot or glass coffee carafe (or large glass cup) to be
impressed by just how enchanting tea can be.  See…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAUz-lSuZL8&feature=related

Books – Pick a happy, uplifting, humorous, enlightening, and positive
book to make the day a little brighter. May I suggest Marianne
Delacourt’s Tara Sharp series?

Nutritious food – We get so caught up in the salty, sugary treats that
aren’t the best for us; we forget how delicious good, nutritious food
can be. I tried a fantastic roasted pumpkin and chick pea salad on
Saturday. This recipe sounds like it’s close to what I had; when I get
the proper one, I’ll post it.

Warm clothes – Wear colourful, bright layers to keep yourself warm.
Comfy socks, a blanket and add a beanie and scarf if you’re so
inclined. So what if you end up looking like an odd version of the
Michelin man? Happy and warm is far better than being cold and
miserable.

Lovely smells – One of my favourite things (apart from food) to get my
house smelling totally amazing is by using wax melts, and, though the
best ones may be a little difficult to find, they’re worth seeking
out… Time & Again‘s simmering waffle
bars are so true to their claims when it comes to perfume that you’ll
be grabbing them at any opportunity. My personal favourites are Clean
Linen and Fall Forest. The Christmas shop in Montville is where I
discovered just how freaking cool these things are. Whereas some other
brands of wax melts smell artificial and are so overpowering they can
give you a headache, these ones won’t.

Comfy place to sit – On cold rainy days it’s always nice to find
somewhere comfy to sit. If you have a favourite chair, see if you’re
able to move it closer to a window. Viewing the rain falling can be
really relaxing.

Fresh air –  Open the window to grab some fresh air. Stale air can’t
be that great for your health. The smell of rain is rather special.
Not to mention how relaxing the sound of rain falling on surfaces is.
If you’re rugged up, having the window open won’t matter too much.

Music – Throw on a great cd while you’re reading and snuggled up in
your favourite chair by an open window with a pot of blooming tea
beside you. Working with so many great things at once, it’s going to
be hard to not feel uplifted.

Light – Not getting enough light can be detrimental to your happiness
and wellbeing.  There may not be too much sun around on rainy days,
but try to catch as much as you can while you’re near that window.

Movies – If all else fails, pop some popcorn and chuck in a good
movie. My fail-safe movies are The Princess Bride, Willow, Labyrinth, and
Legally Blonde 1 & 2.

What are some ways you guys beat the cold rainy days?

MUSIC: Eruption – I Can’t Stand The Rain

The Beatles – The Rain