Record of meeting 24 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, David C, Helene, Roslyn, Elizabeth, Juan, Lynn, Leonie and Elizabeth

The words of the day

Vindictive = spiteful, malicious, cruel

Flagitious = deeply criminal

Perpetual = permanent during life

Impiety = lack of reverence

Jeremiad = lamentation or tale of woe

Epitaph = inscription on a grave or a speech

Cosset = pamper or spoil

Pensive = deeply thoughtful

Writing from words of the day

With reverence the writers cosseted the words of the day and created a range of perpetual epitaphs on the topics Vince and Jeremiah, At his beck and call, She wanted an epitaph, the Roman Empire, Peter was upset, It will come in handy, Sadness in the community and It made me cry.

Reading of homework

Five studious writers read out their homework as follows - Good to see Koko from Helene, Not eligible – a funny story from David C, The same MO and the Tontine also from David, The grand ball by Leonie, Run Darcy run by Lynn and The investigation continues by Roslyn.

Poisonous passions

Lynn made a passionate presentation titled Poisonous passions starting with “all substances are poisons” and gave us information on the top poisons and use of poisons by crime writers. We also found out that 77% of poisonings are accidental

Top poisons - Analgesics, sedatives, household cleaning supplies, antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs, alcohol, tobacco, fumes gasses, stimulants, pesticides, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, cosmetics and personal care products, plants, anti-microbaterial soaps – Triclosan, food poisoning, carbon monoxide

Common poisons used in writing

Arsenic, Botulism, Cyanide, Mercury, Tetrodotoxin, Dimethylmercury, Belladonna, Aconite or monkshoods, Hemlock

 

Familiar poisons

Cyanide, strychnine, mushrooms, anti freeze, oxalic acid, heavy metals, insulin, Succinyl chlorine, corrosive chemicals.

Exercise

To create stories and poems for our exercise we selected a poison from the lists above and added three of minor and major symptoms

Minor symptoms - rapid breathing, restlessness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea/vomiting rapid heart rate

Major symptoms - convulsions, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury, and respiratory failure.

From the information we created the following stories and poems - Our poisonous excitement, The horrible man, Dinner in the oven, Weak and dizzy, Belladonna Lilies and Cinderella was wrong.

Homework

Select a fairy tale/fable involving poison or other criminal activity. Write the story or poem in 2016.

Record of meeting 17 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, Cath, Roslyn, Helene, Elizabeth, David C, Lynn and welcome back to Terri and Muriel

Words of the day

Abrasion = process of scraping or wearing something away

Extemporise = speak or perform without preparation

Halcyon = peace and happiness

Sorn = free board and lodging

Ignominious = humiliating

Recalcitrant = rebellious

Emerge = to come forth

Immerge = to plunge in

Alibi = elsewhere

Petty = small

Writing from words of the day

The recalcitrant writers emerged to create petty and ignominious stories and poems from the halcyon words of the day - The injury, The mêlée, Questions from the lawyer, Emerge from the closet, Friends who come to stay, The bludger, The brother in law, Erosion and My old mum.

Reading of homework

Five diligent writers read their stories and poems with the titles -The plan from Helene, My first day at Kindy from Wendy, Maud’s demise by Roslyn, Rodney & Harry from David C and Reinvented read by Muriel.

Forensic presentation by David C

David C made a verbal presentation on Identity theft defined as using information to take on the identity of another person for gain.  David discussed the use of Drivers licences, Passports, rates notices, tax file numbers, receipts, garbage bin contents etc to establish a false identity by another person.  David strongly suggested that if you are the victim of identity theft to report immediately to the police and your financial organisations to put a stop on your accounts.

Also have a look at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ for further information

Exercise.

We wrote stories and poem about our experiences with Identify theft.

The stories and poems were titled - One more piece of the puzzle, The drawing, I was sunburnt at the time, Can I help you lady, The email, The people next door, Evil Eve & Next time I’ll try garbage bins. 

Homework

Write about identity theft.

Record of meeting 10 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, Helene, David C, Terry, Elizabeth, Lynn, Di, Juan, welcome back to Trish and welcome to Roz

The words of the day    

Panoply = a splendid display  

Counterfeit = make to deceive 

Lucid = clear and easily understood

Atrocious = very bad, wicked, cruel

Cheiloscopy = study of lip prints

Flailed = whipped or waved about wildly

Jocund = marked by high spirits and laughter

Crackerjack = exceptionally good, a tasty treat

Impeach = to call to account or bring to account

Pannel = In Scotland the accused person or member of the jury in a court

Writing from words of the day

The writers took the panoply of words and created the following lucid cracker jack stories and poems - Eating an unpeeled onion, I have been impeached, The restaurant, On the nose, In the court, Melting candy floss, False evidence, All because of his lip prints, Words on show a great poem from Terry and Spoiling the goods

Reading of homework

Six forensically minded writers wrote on the topics - Patterns in the dust, Definitions of murder, terrorism and corruption, Things are not as they seem, The perfect plan, Premeditated crime and The Trespasser.

Forensic presentation

Terry led a discussion of a suicide scene covering the use of Physical and trace evidence, Fibre and soil analysis. In particular we discussed the use of non recycled paper, wellington boots providing evidence, smashing of a window, only one print on the glass, fibres on one side only, two different type of scotch, share market evidence, fingerprints too perfect and indentations on the carpet

Changes to dates for forensic topics

The following timetable will apply

20 Feb – David C – Identity theft, Touch DNA, Bite marks, Tyre tracks

27 Feb – Lynn – Toxicology

Homework

Based on Terry’s presentation above explain how investigators proved it wasn’t a suicide. Or write on the topic - things are not as they seem.

Record of meeting 3 February 2016

The writers

David C, Leonie, Cath, Helene, Wendy, Yuan, Terry, Lynn and Diane

The Concert nominations to Wendy

"Over There" concert Tuesday 5 April 11 am to 12.45 pm at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre – a treat for members - contact Wendy if you want to go.

The words of the day

Alibi = Latin for claim that one was elsewhere

Termagant = bad tempered or overbearing woman

Serendipity = happy an unexpected discovery by accident

Aphorism = a terse saying embodying general truth astute observation

Parsimonious = stingy

Morbid = unwholesomely gloomy

Nascent = an emerging thing with potential eg 3D printing

Docible = easily taught

Spurious = false

Stories from words of the day

The writers were docible producing 

a wonderful array of stories and 

poems on the topics - The sheep, 

Megalomania, Hard of hearing, 

The judge, A good lawyer, 

The parsons nose, 

Not playing with a full deck, 

Mr Patrick and Sipping on brandy.

Reading of homework

Four dedicated writers read 

petty stories - Rags to riches 
from Juan, A crime in her 
mind from Diane, The interview 
by David C and Christmas 
shopping by Leonie.

Forensic science presentation 3 February 2016

Veins in hand

Juan gave an outline of the start of his forensic experience from the age of 22, covered many topics including finger printing, ear prints, eye scans, lip prints and brain finger printing. 

Thank you to Juan for his enthusiastic presentation. We will have more  fantastic forensic presentations from Lynn, Terry and David C over the next three weeks.

The homework

Write a story identifying a perpetrator using some of the techniques described by Juan or write about what inspires you.    

Record of meeting 27 January 2016

The Writers

Cath, Terry, David C, Leonie, Pauline, Juan, Elizabeth, Wendy, Helene and Diane

The Words of the day

Cupidity = excessive desire to posses something

Perfidy = treachery

Anarchic = not following or having any laws or rules, wild uncontrolled

Malleable = easily influenced or moulded

Flamboyant = bright & showy

Consent = acquiesce

Clairvoyant = powers beyond the usual

Cluastral = a less common version of cloistral

Misocatnic = hatred of smoke

Incarcerate = imprison

Stories from words of the day

We manipulated the words of the day into a flamboyant range of stories - My friend An, Visiting my mate, Forgive me, Like superman – a great bit of fun from Yuan, Hamish and Agatha, The convent, Those who smoke, The Monster’s demise, British rule and Unforseen incarceration.

Reading of homework 

I think I’ll be an Aussie – brilliant poem of clichés from Wendy, Views from the school and churches – a nostalgic story from Elizabeth, A choice of country – experiences from Juan, From Australia House in London to the beach – memories from Pauline, Calling the Flying Doctor on Australia Day – an outback story from Leonie, Welcome to Australia – memories from David C, Visiting Sydney on Australia Day from Diane and Terra Nullius by Terry.  

Group outing Over there - our wars in hit songs and stories

Singing of World War 2 songs accompanied our discussion of a visit to the Entertainment Centre in April 2016. Please let Wendy know if you would like to attend and she will make a group booking and pay.

 Quick write - The sweet smell of success

We captured the essence of success with our stories and poems - The party to end all parties, Primary school teachers definition of success, A funny uncle – it sucks, The driving test, Fairy floss, Success forget it, All that glitters, Chocolate biscuits and Somewhere to stay.

February Forensic topics – aprox 30 minutes following afternoon tea

6 Feb - Juan – Biometrics, Money Laundering, Brain fingerprinting

13 Feb - Terry – Disciplines of Forensic, Physical and trace evidence, Fibre and soil analysis

20 Feb – Lynn – Toxicology

27 Feb – David C – Identity theft, Touch DNA, Bite marks, Tyre tracks

Homework

Petty crime – ease gently into Forensic month or another topic of your choice

Meeting notes for 20th January 2016

Present:- Terry, Cath, Pauline, Leonie, Lyn, David C, Juan, Wendy, Apology from Di.

Once again there were good vibrations felt among the group during a jovial discussion

of past events.

A salubrious amount of words inveigled into our quick write, followed by the reading of the home work a veritable kaleidoscope of colourful language [non swearing of course.] a cacophony of words on Waiting.

Truly words of wisdom.

Tea coffee cakes and biscuits, afternoon siesta. 

Afterwards an in-depth debate on having a monthly theme with numerous ideas being proposed, including :

* Word of the day and homework to be related to that theme.

Homework for 27th Jan. 

"Australia Day." 

Suggested genre for study in Feb. Forensics and Crime with Valentines day...open to love and kisses or crimes of passion.

These are suggested themes and subject matter that, if any member is not comfortable with, 

they can chose to write on their own selected theme.

Meeting notes for 13th January 2016

                
School holidays, visitors & family events resulted in a smaller group than usual, however there was plenty of discussion and opinions being given among Pauline, Di, Juan, Wendy & Cath

Words of the Day were:   
Autolatry -  self obsession.
Truncate – to cut short or maim  
Hulk – a rotting ship,  large         
Kowtow – to grovel or bow down
Plebeian – common

Varied tales were composed using the WOTD,  a fracas at the movies,  Angela’s arrest,  misled audience,  the Sumo wrestler and a poem.

Last week’s homework was free choice with stories about noisy neighbours, having a sheep as a special friend and a poem titled Ducket List – things to avoid. 

Questions were raised regarding how to obtain information on various genres with some internet sites being suggested.

Following the tea break everyone got busy writing their thoughts on  Temptation , one was rebellious,  another  poetically tried to resist many varieties of cheese,  the television programme Temptation brought memories to the fore,  temptation with its many disguises  and  a poem of  regret.

Next week’s homework is:-  WAITING