Let’s play a word-association game. I’ll give you a phrase, you say whatever first comes into your head, OK? Here goes:

HAWAIIAN TIKI PARTY

Top marks if you said ‘hula’ or ‘coconuts’. ‘Grass skirts’, ‘leis’ and even ‘sand up your bumcrack’ garner some points. So would someone please tell this to those oh-so-fash types at Kathleen’s Waitan? Because upon entering last night for the opening of their new terrace bar Sassoon, there wasn’t a palm tree in sight! At the bar, having my one-night-only Giancarlo tiki cocktail made (ooooh! soooo exclusive!) I made the foolish mistake of trying to take it away with me sans coconut leaf and pineapple wedge. “Wait! you forgot the part that makes it ‘tiki’!” said the waitress. I could have said the same for their whole event. Ooooooh, snap.

Anyways, since I’m not in the business of dwelling on sub-par experiences, I’ll sum up Sassoon for you post haste: Swanky restaurant, huge terrace, bund views. Blah music, blah crowd, worse-than-blah cocktails (we tried them all, all were pretty awful). It’s next to the Grand Hyatt, home of Vue Bar, where the Bund sights/hot tub combination makes for a far Superior terrace experience.

So that said, onto two great places we visited, one before, one after the mediocrity of Sassoon. It’s like our night was a sandwich, where the bread’s really good, but the filling was crab paste. *shudder*

BEFORE: Kommune

An oldie, but a goodie. I haven’t been to this Tianzifang favourite for a quite a while (there was a time when it fell from favour, edged out by the rather wonderful Bell Bar *love*) but actually I’ll be back soon. Here’s the skinny: The happy hour is 7-9, you can customise your already great cocktails (long/short/sweet options available), all against a backdrop of culty communist-propaganda decor. Check the wall-stencil of People’s Workers assembling a Macbook. Wink.

AFTER: JiangBian-ChengWai

2am, People’s Square. We walk into this frankly huge restaurant that is still teeming with hungry revellers. The draw? Roasted fish. Which was brilliant. We ordered two, both stuffed with tofu and sprinkled with more Sichuan peppers than you can shake a spicy stick at. With numb tongue, my friend (who frequents all 7 branches of this restaurant across Shanghai) tells me that if you come here at dinner time, you can queue easily for 2 hours outside before being seated. If you’ve nothing better to do it’s definitely worth the wait.

Sassoon Bar – 4/F, 200 Huangpu Lu, near Qingpu Lu

Kommune – Building 5, lane 7, 210 Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu

JiangBian-ChengWai – 3/F, 569 Jinling Dong Lu, near Yunnan Nan Lu

Click on the grey icon below to hear the rundown on the stories we’re following for you today. And remember, you can listen to all of our podcasts at montrealgazette.com/montreal@themoment on iTunes  and follow us on Facebook.

In an unusual move that has shocked the media, Quebec Court Judge Pierre Labelle has imposed a publication ban on everything involving the preliminary hearing of Richard Henry Bain, charged in the provincial election night shooting last September. Last week, Crown prosecutor Éliane Perreault requested a ban on the evidence presented during the pre-trial hearing, saying Bain, 62, had a right to a fair trial. But Labelle went even further, expanding the ban to everything that goes on in the courtroom. The media can’t even report the contents of his judgment which gives his reasons for a ban.

Meanwhile, Bell says it would walk away from buying Astral Media if it’s asked to sell any more of the TV specialty and radio company’s assets to make the $3.4-billion merger work. Chief executive George Cope says there wouldn’t be any “strategic rationale” to buy Astral if it had to sell more of its assets to get regulatory approval from the CRTC. Cope says Bell wouldn’t be able to make its strategy of more content available on multiple platforms and more competition in Quebec if forced to do so. Astral CEO Ian Greenberg says the consequences for his company would be severe if the CRTC doesn’t approve the deal the second time round.

Gazette sports columnist Dave Stubbs writes that there is a silver lining to be found in the otherwise jet black cloud that saw the Habs eliminated from the playoffs last night by the Ottawa Senators. You can also listen to our podcast with Dave examining what’s next for the Canadiens.

And finally, just because you can’t get down to the Big Easy doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a New Orleans cocktail. Gazette food writer Susan Semenak examines the state of mixology in a city that’s always looking for a reason to party.

Stay with us more on these stories and breaking news as it happens at montrealgazette.com

Pat Fitzhugh

Hello Pat! Thanks for stopping by. Can you tell us a bit about yourself before we get to the interview? Oh, you have a real bio? Can’t you just tell us stuff? You know, like as if you’re really talking to us? You will? Great!

Beeing born and raised in Tennessee i began to appreciate Southern folklore and ghost stories at an early age. As a child my favorite story was the legend of the so-called “Bell Witch.”

Later research of the mystery culminated in “The Bell Witch: The Full Account,” which introduced many new, previously unpublished facts about the case. He was featured in the motion picture DVD, “An American Haunting,” starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, and has appeared on many radio interviews and television documentaries about the supernatural.

In 2009 I penned down “Ghostly Cries From Dixie,” a compilation of weird and ghostly tales from the American South. And I also was a contributing author for “Weird U.S.,” published by Barnes and Noble Press, and have written many newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, and short stories.

My current projects include “From Turkey Creek – A Memoir,” a personal account of growing up on Kentucky Lake in rural west Tennessee; the thirteenth anniversary edition and rewrite of ”The Bell Witch: The Full Account,” due in October 2013; a sequel to ”Ghostly Cries From Dixie;” and the foreword to “The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge,” by historical fiction author Lori Crane. Also in the works “Tales of the Haunted Natchez Trace,” a collection of chilling stories about haunted locations along a primitive footpath between Mississippi and Tennessee.

And finally something to remember about me, “I write about ghosts, moonshine, and magnolias. My writing is an extension of every cup of moonshine sipped on a hot summer’s night, propped against life’s most inevitable and unfortunate truths.”

Pat, that is a wonderful saying. You have given your fan’s a quote they can use and remember you by.

Now, where can your fans find you online?

On my Amazon Author Page

My Official Web Site

My Facebook Fan Page

Those are some pretty nice pages. Now let’s get started with the interview.

Can you tell me how you celebrate finally getting that tricky chapter (or para) right?

“I’ll usually celebrate by going right into the next chapter or paragraph while the previous one is still fresh in my mind; it makes

transitions easier.  Also, I like to keep my rhythm going. Once I finally reach a stopping point after completing a tricky chapter (and then some), I’ll go for dinner and drinks.”

Okay, sounds like you know how to party. But how do you work around those moments when the muse has gone and done a runner on you?

“I’ll go fishing or hiking, or just sit at home and read.  If I’m really behind on a piece, I will start typing random, off the wall

stories and keep going until my creativity comes back.  That’s how some of my best work has begun.”

I think that is a great piece of advice to anyone suffering from a creativity blockage. But I want to know about your current work.

First, what is the title of the book you would like to talk about?

“Ghostly Cries From Dixie”

That is my kind of cover! Great, eerie and alluring. Just based on the cover I would want to read it.

But did you have difficulty coming up with the title?

“I thought about it for a while. I was stuck between “Ghostly Tales” and “Ghost Stories,” from Dixie.  Then one day I came to my

senses—both are trite, overused, and cliché.  One of writing’s biggest rules is to be original, and not base your work on stale,

overused, everyday terms and expressions. I chose “Cries” because it conveys tension, negativity, sadness, fear, helplessness, and similar emotions—emotions that are present in nearly all ghost stories.”

I think you made the right decision.

If you would have to change the genre in order to be able to publish it, what would it be then? i.e. would you conform to the market?

“My guiding life principle has always been, ‘If the rules don’t make sense, then make and play by your own rules!’ Fortunately, however, I don’t have to worry about that because the book is already published and I don’t write in a particular genre. There is no genre for the books I write. I suppose I could create one and call it, ’Journalistic Analyses of Well-Known Ghost Stories and Haunted Locations,’ but that would be quite long! I suppose ‘Historical Fiction’ comes close.”

I like your life principle! By the by, what’s wrong with a long named new genre? But is it fiction? Or do those ghost really haunt us?

To another topic. What don’t you like about writing.

“Tough question. I love everything about writing. If I had to pick something I don’t like (and I take it that’s the case here), I’d have

to say that I don’t like getting stuck on a sentence or paragraph and spending a week or more trying to find exactly the right words and put them in exactly the right places. I am my strongest critic; I am never satisfied with anything I write. Conversely, I usually love what everyone else writes.”

What do you do marketing wise and what do you think generates the most attention to your books?

“Having written and published books since the early 1980’s, I’ve tried almost everything.  Television and radio interviews work well, as do lectures and signings. If you analyze and execute it correctly, one such event will spawn another, then another, and so on. The more people I speak with directly, or come into contact with via face-to-face and personal handshakes, the more books I sell. Period. It all begins with a carefully-worded and timed press release. The internet (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) is okay, I suppose, but I’ve found social media better for building my personal author brand (and advertising my in-person events!) than for selling books.”

That’s exactly how I feel about it! I think you are a brave man, to go out into the world and actually speak in public! Eeps! Anyway, good to hear that those things work.

Tell me, when you’re on a roll, the muse is in the house and happily guiding your pen, what would seriously drive her/him away?

“Distractions will drive him/her away quickly. I can’t write unless I am in total silence; even the smallest distraction breaks my

concentration. It takes me a good 30 minutes for me to refocus.”

What does your muse look like and does he/she ever play tricks on you?

“Sometimes my muse is a temple; sometimes it’s a disco.”

Do you ever speak to your characters and do you get along all the time?

“As an author of ghost stories, all of my characters are dead; I don’t do séances.”

Is there any food or beverage that is a constant factor in either books or life?

“Coffee. Black, no sugar.  Seven in the morning, eleven at night, always coffee.  If I’m not writing, I’ll do a Mountain Dew.”

Would you be able to come up with a credible excuse why you haven’t written a whole day? Remember, I have to believe it!

I can’t remember a day when I didn’t write at least something, although it’s usually just my signature on 20-30 checks (the front side).

And finally why would you ever want to live life behind a keyboard slaving over a manuscript?

I’m not happy unless I am actively achieving or accomplishing something; I have to keep moving at all times, unless I am asleep.

Sitting behind the keyboard enables me accomplish something worthwhile—a book!  It will be around for long after I’m dead and

gone; it’s a personal legacy item that I can be proud of (even if it sells only one copy)!

Okay now that we have the mandatory questions out of the way, shoot your mouth off. Tell me whatever you want the blab about. But please no cat’s, dogs, or children. Make me laugh, or cry, or even envious. Tell me something none has ever heard before from you. Hehehe, I love those little dirty secrets, real or make believe.

“Ok. You asked for it! Lets’ see.  I once ate 42 dozen oysters on the half-shell (my favorite food) in one setting. I didn’t get sick.

While playing tackle in high school, I sacked an opposing team’s quarterback on the first play of a game, and it took him out for the

entire season. Four years later, he won the Heisman Trophy. And finally, I once saw ‘Bigfoot’ while hunting on horseback in Victoria, British Columbia. Ok! Ok! So I lied, but two out of three ain’t bad.

Hahahaha, you didn’t only made me believe each and every one of them, but I laughed out loud too! Thank you very much Pat for this pleasant visit and the small peek you gave me and my readers into you and your life.

I hope you will want to come back in future when you have a new release.

The only thing I need to do now is tell the folks where to buy your work.

“The Bel Witch: The Full Account @ Amazon

Bell Witch Special Interest Page

“Ghostly Cries From Dixie” @ Amazon

Explore a crazy world, compete with other players and uncover the mystery of the Orient, the Golden Bell. More cheat codes and games at: http://www.poptropicanas.com

Instructions:

Arrow keys: Movement Up: Jump Or use Mouse to move and jump

Category:

Adventure

Tags:

bell, crazy, gamegape, quest, tough

I made a visit to the newly opened Farm Cafe in Kahuku. I wanted something that wouldn’t leave me feeling so heavy, so I thought id order the 1/2 grilled veggie panini sandwich with a side of salad. The sandwich contains: Eggplant, Bell pepper, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Lettuce and Mozzarella. It was delicious. So was the salad. Although, I didn’t know it would have a tangy lilikoi flavored dressing. Imagine the surprise to my taste buds! I’m so used to the occasional ranch, oriental and balsamic. I can happily say I’ve never had a lilikoi flavored dressing… but at least I tried it. Although I think if I have it again in the future, ill request for my salad without any dressing.

Make a wind chime of course!

This is the second of my two final projects for “Sonic Measures,” a Sound Design course I took this spring with Professor Terry Adkins and Marc Blumthal.

The assignment was to take some video footage which was primarily visual in nature (and natural – not a performance) and to use sound design to enhance the raw footage. In Logic, to enhance the audio already present from the video (which was full of ringing church bells which inspired the sound design,) I used raw waveforms generated in Audacity and used time, pitch, and layering effects and reverberation to create a soundscape full of sounds that are evocative of bells or otherwise mimic bells’ characteristics.

The video footage was taken on College Green at Penn, and between 36th & 34th Streets // between Locust Walk and Walnut Street over the course of several afternoons at around the same time, thus having clock bells tolling in all of my footage.

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BELL HELMETS 2022090 Sport Helmet White Medium SA10

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Featuring Bell’s innovative Speed dial adjustable fit system, the Drifter DLX is a breakthrough in half shell helmet comfort and style. Just put on the helmet and turn the dial on the adjustment system for a perfect fit, even with your gloves on. This system not only porvides a high level of comfort, it also drastically reduces the tendency for half shell helmets to lift off of the head. The Drifter DLX also features Bell’s ultra-low profile shell design while still passing tough DOT safety standards; maximum style with no compromises.

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I like actress Kristen Bell.

She loves sloths.

This is for you, Kristen.

Aldermore has crashed into the top of the savings charts with a 60-day notice cash ISA paying 3.15%.

It has also increased the interest on its one-year fixed-rate cash ISA from 3.2% to 3.35%, making it the best-paying one-year account on the market.

There are no bonus interest periods on either account so the interest rate on the fixed account will remain the same during the term, while the 60-day account is guaranteed to remain above the Bank of England base rate by 1.75% until 1 March 2013.

If you were to open the one-year account and save £5,340 this would generate £178.89 tax-free interest in a year, while savings of £30,000 would earn interest of £1,005.

Both of these accounts have a minimum deposit of £1,000 and accept transfers from other ISA providers so you can move money into the accounts easily and without penalty.

The variable account allows unlimited deposits up to the ISA limit for the year and you can withdraw money early as long as you give 60 days’ notice. If you need to withdraw your money from the fixed-rate account you can but this will mean a penalty of 120 days’ loss of interest.

Peace of mind

“Aldermore’s one-year fixed-rate bond is not only a top paying rate but with such transparency, it offers complete peace of mind”.

Simon Healy, head of saving for Aldermore, says: “Transferring balances from lower paying accounts into an Aldermore cash ISA not only makes sense in maximising your tax-free allowance but is easy too – accounts can be opened in minutes online, by phone or by post, and with our guaranteed rates, you can be sure of your returns.”

SmartMoney verdict:

As the ISA season gets under full swing, Aldermore has successfully topped the charts for both fixed-rate and instant-access cash ISAs. These accounts give you the flexibility of transferring in money from another account, penalty free, and allow you to access the money in the short term.

Unusually, there are also no bonus periods to watch out for so the rate you see is the rate you’ll get. This is a good option for savers wanting to get the best rate possible while having the flexibility of accessing their money after a short time period.

How do you announce your presence before you invade a colleague’s cubicle?

Most of us knock on the wall or make a meaningless noise of the “ahem” variety.

Desk Attention is changing that with a silent interruption system, much like a cubicle doorbell that attaches to the wall behind you in your cubicle.

Dubbed the Desk Attention, the device costs $13 to $20 dependent on what options and features you want – you can even design your own!

It runs on a 9v battery, and uses a strip of high intensity, low power eye catching LEDs.