Hokkaido Green is a StorySouth Million Writers Notable Story of 2010.

The top ten stories are announced on May 20.

I’m really excited Inksucker has been shortlisted for an Aurealis Award in the YA Short Story category.  The story was originally published in Worlds Next Door, an anthology edited by Tehani Wessely.

It’s also great that a bunch of my fellow students (plus teachers) from Clarion South, along with some other writing friends, have been nominated as well.  It’s wonderful to be in the same company as the other nominated writers.  Just two years ago I attended the awards ceremony, as part of my time as Clarion.  Now to be a finalist is especially rewarding.

The complete list of the finalists.

http://www.aurealisawards.com/finalists2010.pdf

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2011 is the year of the rabbit.

So far, it has been one disruptive bunny.

Floods and cyclones in Australia, floods in Brazil, the earthquake in Christchurch, revolutions in the Middle East, civil war and foreign military intervention in Libya and the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan.

Even pandas have turned vicious: a panda attacked a zookeeper at San Diego Zoo.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/calosha-investigating-giant-panda-attack-on-keeper-at-san-diego-zoo.html

There is some amazing  footage of a car getting hit by the tsunami.  The driver managed to survive.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpt0WKZI9D8

People fleeing the tsunami turned around and helped others to escape its path.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxL36ngIJA8

A news crew barely escaped the tsunami and then were able to help other survivors to safety.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrv8EAUptp8

There is footage of the tsunami arriving at Sendai airport.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6iDBoOvb0

Footage of the tsunami arriving at street level.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpuLlIrUYsI

Numerous reporters have commented on the general level of calm and the minimal level of looting occurring.  The response to supply evacuation centers with food and heating seems to be slow, but in some evacuation centers people are still taking part in their daily exercise routine.

Thousands of people were trapped at Tokyo Disneyland on the day of the quake when the trains stopped running.  Spending a night in Disneyland in those circumstances would be a surreal experience.

You can make donations for tsunami survivors at: http://www.redcross.org.au/japan2011.htm

I’ve been watching the footage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

I lived in Japan for 4 years and have travelled extensively around the country.  It always make an event more personal when you’ve been to the place where it’s happening and have friends there.

Most of my friends are in Osaka and Tokyo, and as far as I know they all seem to be okay.  Some of my friends in Tokyo had scary experiences when their office buildings shook violently and they were stranded at work when the trains stopped running.  Another friend has cracks in his apartment building.

The scale of the tsunami is amazing.  There’s a video showing its arrival.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646

And now there is the issue of the nuclear emergency.

The Big Picture: Quake Aftermath

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/japan_earthquake_aftermath.html

My review of Tor.com’s January stories is up at The Portal.

I feel as though I’m particularly qualified to comment on these two stories – one is set in Japan and the other features clowns and monkeys.

http://sffportal.net/2011/03/tor-com-january-2011/