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Parents of young children will no doubt be familiar with requests for stories ‘out of your head’ as opposed to the neatly printed and wonderfully illustrated kind.
But what happens when you cobble together a meandering adventure involving a hero who learns a key lesson via a process of trial and error, only for you to be asked a week later for the same story again.
While most of us dodge a bullet by offering to make up a brand new bigger and better story, or simple defer to something penned by a published author, Yvonne Fleming – a former hairdresser from Maghera – has turned her stories and doodles into to a series of children’s books called The Weatherbies.
Yvonne explained how the characters were born: “It came about quite a few years ago. I was sitting out in the garden with the kids on a lovely sunny day. We were watching the clouds, picking out shapes.
“I took some pens and started doodling, I drew a few characters based on the weather, gave them names, started telling stories.
After Yvonne told one of her ‘made up’ stories to her young children Steven and Shane, her husband Peter remarked that the characters had a lot of potential.
Yvonne had been a hairdresser, running her own salon, but she gave it up to become a childminder when her boys arrived.
She said she was always drawn towards art at school and the books have allowed her to return to her passion.
She began writing down the stories and with the help of her husband, who had a recording studio at their home, recorded some songs to go along with her sketches of the characters.
Yvonne said: “We did a book of characters along with the songs which we took round 16 schools.
“That was 10 years ago when we started doing a bit of market research. We got great feedback from kids, parents and teachers.
With the help of James Salenga, an animator from the Philippines, the characters were designed in such a way as to give them more potential for movement, for example in a TV series or merchandise range.
Yvonne’s first two books – Sammy Sun and Rosie Rainbow – were funded using a Kickstarter crowdfunding appeal, before an international publishing deal was signed with Tiny Tree, a publisher who Yvonne had first met at London Book Fair.
In January NI company Flickerpix came on board to work on a pilot for animation.
‘Colin Cloud Is Making Shapes’ was officially released last week, having got the thumbs-up from her teenage children.
Yvonne said: “Ten years ago when I started to develop the books into what they are now, the boys were the target audience. They grew up listening to the stories.
Of her favourite children’s book when she was growing up Yvonne said: “When I was wee I loved the Mr Men. I loved the images, the simplicity, as a child it captured you. I loved to copy the drawings. I liked the Wombles as well. As I got older I grew into Roald Dahl.
Of her own books she said: “The Weatherbies are a wee community of friends. The stories try to give positive messages about the environment, and looking after your friends. For me it’s about educating without them knowing it.
“Ronnie Rain is a bit of a joker. He makes puddles for the others to step in. Sammy Sun dries them up. It’s explaining the water cycle in a fun way.
She continued: “The first three books introduce the six key characters - Sammy Sun, Colin Cloud, Rosie Rainbow, Ronnie Rain, Willy Wind and Flo Snow.
“Those are the basic weathers that kids will relate to.
“There’s reams more characters like Tommy Thunder and The Lightning Twins but you can’t bombard them all at once.
Major public health bodies are colluding with the food industry and promoting policies that are having “disastrous health consequences”, a damning health charity report says.
The National Obesity Forum and Public Health Collaboration call for a “major overhaul” of current dietary guidelines that urge people to follow low fat diets and to lower their cholesterol.
They say the focus on low fat diets is failing to address Britain’s obesity crisis, while snacking between meals is making people fat. Instead, people should return to “whole foods”, such as meat, dairy and potatoes as well as high fat healthy foods including avocados, arguing that “eating fat does not make you fat”.
The report also argues that saturated fat does not cause heart disease while full fat dairy – including milk, yoghurt and cheese – can actually protect the heart.
Processed foods labelled “low fat”, “lite”, “low cholesterol” or “proven to lower cholesterol” should be avoided at all costs and people with Type 2 diabetes should eat a fat-rich diet rather than one based on carbohydrates.
The report also said sugar should be avoided, people should stop counting calories and the idea that exercise can help you “outrun a bad diet” is a myth. It recommended a diet low in refined carbohydrates but high in healthy fats as “an effective and safe approach for preventing weight gain and aiding weight loss”, which cuts the risk of heart disease.
The authors hit out at the “establishment” responsible for food science policies, such as Public Health England (PHE), which they say have been “corrupted by commercial influences”.
In a stinging rebuke, they compared the situation to that in big tobacco companies that bought the “loyalty of scientists” when a link was made between smoking and lung cancer. They said the recent Eatwell Guide from PHE was produced with a large number of people from the food and drink industry.
Some of the UK’s most senior health experts reacted with fury attempting to portray the report as “unscientific”, “cherry-picking” studies and “not peer reviewed”, an important part of the scientific publishing process.
Prof Tom Sanders, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London, released a lengthy response which included eight areas of the report he said were incorrect.
“This report muddles quality and quantity because you can still eat too much of a ‘good diet’,” he said.
Private practitioners in Cumbria are bracing themselves for a wave of fresh competition from Cardiff-based outsourcing specialist Capita, which took over Cumbria County Council architects' department last week.
Capita, which was among the top 10 fastest growing practices in the UK last year, paid £4 million for the department, which has 60 architectural staff, as part of a 500-strong multidisciplinary operation. It is the first time Capita has won a contract to take over an entire local authority architects' department. Traditionally the bulk of the company's business has stemmed from contracts in areas such as payroll management.
Signs at offices in Carlisle and Lancaster were changed last week and the deal guarantees Capita local authority work for seven years. It has led to fears among some architects in Carlisle that the new firm, called Capita Design & Business Services, will undercut them on private work.
'It has an unfair advantage over private practices and, with Capita behind it, it will be able to choose the level of fee it wants to work at, ' said Johnston & Wright director, Alistair McGregor.
In Cardiff, Capita's director of architecture Andrew Murray claimed there would be little overlap between the local practices and Capita's operation. 'The smaller works in Carlisle will not be the sort of projects we will be targeting, ' he said.
The department was forced into Capita's arms by regulators who demanded it either cut back its private sector work or privatise.
Although there were fewer worldwide computer virus outbreaks last year than in 2004, there are signs of a growing criminal element becoming involved in online attacks or frauds, experts believe.
According to IBM’s Global Security Intelligence team, cybercrime patterns are changing from widespread global attacks to more focused attacks against smaller targets.
Data from IBM’s 2005 Global Business Security Index Report measured the global IT threat landscape last year as medium level. Last summer’s Zotob worm may have grabbed the headlines because it infected some high profile media outlets but it was one of only a few major attacks during the year. Just 2.8pc of emails contained a virus or Trojan horse program last year, down significantly from 2004 levels of 6.1pc.
However, arrests of cybercriminals in the US and around the world are indicating a shift, as individuals are now being connected to organised crime and motivated to make money. It is believed that criminals will focus their efforts on convincing end users to execute attacks instead of wasting time trying to discover vulnerabilities in software that could be used. According to IBM’s Global Security Intelligence team, greater focus on securing software and networks means that the weakest point for many organisations is personnel.
Outlining potential trends for 2006, IBM said that cyber criminals would look to take advantage of the difficulty in international co-operation between police forces. This situation means that cross-border attacks can be launched with minimal personal risk, leading IBM to conclude that the threat to and from emerging and developing countries will increase.
“It then becomes far more difficult to trace the attacks back to their source, especially when trends show attacks are increasingly originating from regions, such as Eastern Europe and Asia, where sanctions are more lenient and enforcement is limited,” the IBM report said.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Officers with the Independence Police Department are currently involved in a standoff with a suspect following a shooting Monday afternoon.
The incident took place just after 2 p.m. near Highway 24 and E. Susquehanna Drive.
Police said one man was shot and has been taken to an area hospital. He is reported to be in critical condition at this time.
The suspect is believed to be inside a resident. Police are asking the public to avoid the area at this time as it is still an active scene.
This is a developing story. FOX4 will update as new details become available.
Meat Market, 191 Bradley Place.
For enthusiasts of cocktail culture, Meat Market Palm Beach’s signature drinks list covers perusal-worthy ground—from the classics to the trendy and what’s now with proprietary flourishes—but later this week, one aperitif is likely to command a record number of sales or, at least, bar-habitués’ inquiries.
That’s because the aperitif, the berry-tinged and sparkling wine-spiked “Raspberry Beret,” also is the title of a popular song by the late pop-music phenomenon, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Prince—and a tribute to him takes place Thursday at Meat Market, 191 Bradley Place.
The cocktail-time “Tribute to Prince” at Meat Market serves as a preview party to the Armory Art Center’s Jan. 26 winter fundraiser (that event will feature art, music, fashion, cocktails and dinner by the bite) called “Purple Reign,” another Prince tribute.
Thursday’s event at Meat Market is 7-9 p.m. (if you plan to attend, you must RSVP by calling 833-8283 or by pre-registering here).
On tap for the Meat Market affair are happy-hour cocktails (variously priced) and complimentary hors d’oeuvres, plus, according to organizers, an appearance by live-action speed-painter Michael Israel.
In addition to Israel, several members of the Armory’s board and “Purple Reign” host and junior committees are expected to attend (briefly or for the duration) Thursday’s Prince tribute.
Anyone who attends Thursday’s “Tribute to Prince” at Meat Market is invited to stay for dinner; 10 percent of all dinner proceeds are slated to benefit the Armory, 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach.
Johnson died Sept. 25 in her sleep at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center of causes associated with aging.
The young woman was working as a secretary for the FBI in Dallas when the United States entered "the Great War" in spring 1917. After she turned 20, she walked over to the nearby Navy recruiting office and signed up.
Johnson's two brothers were in the armed forces at the time and her sister was a Red Cross nurse.
"When I joined the Navy, I didn't tell my dad -- my mother died when I was 6 -- until after I'd gone in," she said in a 1997 Life magazine article.
"When I told him he'd have to put a fourth star in the window," she continued, " he congratulated me."
Johnson was one of 12,000 women other than nurses who served in the Navy during World War I, handling clerical duties in the United States to free men for fighting. Her official rank was Yeoman, 2nd Class, Female, and she and her colleagues were quickly dubbed Yeomanettes.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimated last year that fewer than 75 of those women are still alive, and that of the total 4 million Americans who served in World War I, only about 500 remain.
In 1919, she returned to Dallas to work for the FBI. She married Edward C. Johnson in 1924 and was widowed in 1948.
Q&A with screenwriter Drew Goddard, composer Harry Gregson-Williams and director of photography Dariusz Wolski. Moderated by Meredith Woerner, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with director/co-writer/producer Alejandro G. Iñárritu and actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter and Forrest Goodluck. Moderated by Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with actress Lily Tomlin, director Paul Weitz and producer Andrew Miano. Moderated by Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Jesse Andrews. Moderated by Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with executive producer Jason Reitman, creator Zander Lehmann, and cast members Michaela Watkins, Tommy Dewey and Tara Lynne Barr. Moderated by Libby Hill, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with actress Alicia Vikander and producer Gail Mutrux. Moderated by Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with actress Carey Mulligan, director Sarah Gavron, and screenwriter Abi Morgan. Moderated by Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A to follow with writer/director James Vanderbilt, producers Brad Fischer and William Sherak, and actor Dennis Quaid. Moderated by Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A to follow with actress Brie Larson. Moderated by Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A to follow with actor Bryan Cranston and screenwriter John McNamara. Moderated by Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A to follow with actress Saoirse Ronan and director John Crowley. Moderated by Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with creator/executive producer Darren Star and leading actress Sutton Foster. Moderated by Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with creator/executive producer Kenya Barris, executive producer and star Anthony Anderson, executive producer and star Laurence Fishburne, and cast members Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown, Marsai Martin. Moderated by Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with writer/star Jim Jefferies. Moderated by Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with executive producer Gareth Neame. Moderated by Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with creator/executive producer Dan Harmon, executive producer Chris McKenna, actors Joel McHale, Jim Rash, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Ken Jeong and Keith David. Moderated by Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with creator/executive producer Peter Nowalk, actress Viola Davis and guest star Cicely Tyson. Moderated by Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with actors Kerry Washington, Katie Lowes, Joshua Malina, Guillermo Diaz, Scott Foley, Bellamy Young and Portia de Rossi. Moderated by Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with creator/executive producer John Ridley, executive producer Michael J. McDonald, composer Mark Isham, casting director Kim Coleman, sound supervisor Walt Newman, editor Joanne Yarrow, editor Lu Vu, editor Liza Espinas, and director of photography Ramsey Nickell. Moderated by Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times writer.
Q&A with Emmy-winning actress Claire Danes, director/executive producer Lesli Linka Glatter and showrunner/executive producer Alex Gansa. Moderated by Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times writer.
It really is a little difficult to give the concerns expressed by the parents much credence if their first avenue is going to be Mr Weinstein and an outside advocacy group.
I still have to think that one of the greatest threats to our democracy is apathy. We talk (at least nationally) about voter suppression but then see low turnout.
Not so much, perhaps. A spike is not necessarily a trend. Using the numbers from the chart, and taking a global view of each year, we come with the period ending Feb 15 being 46 days, or 12.6% of the year. Using the total from 2016 of 439 cases we would then expect 55 reports to the selected cutoff.
Should such material be removed from a government office? Certainly. However, the question not answered in the article is whether the aggrieved retiree reported the flyer (or the previous incidents) to anyone on staff. This does seem to be important information, as I personally would imagine that generally the clinical staff is going to be more concerned with serving patients than with policing the waiting room. No matter how wrong or offensive an individual may find an action, not bringing it to the attention of the responsible parties ensures that no action will be taken.
Scientific American has launched “Bring Science Home,” a month-long online campaign to inspire kids to take an interest in science. The program’s goal is to show that science is part of the everyday, and proposes science activities that kids and their parents can do for just a few minutes per day using things lying around the house.
The campaign is part of the “Change the Equation” program, a public-private partnership that strives to increase science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) literacy in this country. Nature Publishing Group, which owns Scientific American, joined the initiative in 2010.
A new activity will be introduced each day (today’s is focused gravity and Newton’s First Law of Motion) and all activities will be shared on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter as well as the magazine’s website.
(Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) said it had canceled about 25 flights on Thursday as operations return to normal following a power outage on Monday that hit its computer systems, leading to cancellation of nearly 2,000 flights.
A small fire at its computer center was partly to blame for the network failure, Bloomberg reported.
A company spokesman confirmed that “there was evidence of fire,” but added that he was not aware of any fire dept response.
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday advised the public to not remove campaign materials of candidates even if they violate rules set by the commission.
Frances Aguindadao-Arabe, Comelec director on education and information, said that it would be best to report the campaign materials rather than removing them without the permission of the candidate to avoid any possibility of being sued.
“It is not allowed as they may face charges for taking sides and destroying campaign materials of other candidates in the process, Arabe, speaking Filipino, said in an interview over AM radio station DZBB.
Arabe said that the public can post pictures of the campaign materials and tag COMELEC’s social media accounts to report them.

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