Carlos Fuentes dies

The Guardian Carlos Fuentes, Mexico's most celebrated novelist and a leading figure in Latin America's 20th century literary boom of the 1960s and 70s, has died in hospital in Mexico City. He was 83 and reportedly [more]

Active listening and field recording workshop

Simon Whetham is a sound artist from the UK who will be holding an Active Listening and Field Recording Workshop on Sunday 20 May, 2-6pm. It will be free but to ensure your spot contact Simon on 0429 086 [more]

Slam Champion Poetry Workshop and Performance

Luka Lesson won the first round of the Australian Poetry Slam at The Maurocco Bar, Castlemaine, in October last year, and went on to become the Australian Poetry Slam Champion. Co-director of The Centre for Poetics and [more]

Friday music: Bach - Cello Suite No.1 i-Prelude

Psychology Club launch this weekend - all welcome

A new club for men and women over 18 is about to be established to expand the thinking and understanding of the mind and for all those with an interest in psychology. The Psychology Club, to be known as Mindspace has [more]

Community Wind Survey - ONLINE NOW - win a prize!

What do you think of a community owned wind farm in the Mount Alexander area? Online survey NOW open. This important survey is an opportunity to have a say about community-owned wind power. The Mount Alexander [more]

Très saucy Chewton pool fundraiser

WITH TRACEY CANDY AND STAN MUNRO CONCERT TRES SAUCY A super special fund-raiser in Chewton, starring STAN MUNRO and TRACEY CANDY. Friday, 1 June, 7.30pm. Chewton Senior Citizens Hall. Help maintain the Chewton [more]

Six months, and days to go, but who's counting? Seminar to consider end of world prophecy

Filled your cellar with canned food? We are nearly half way through 2012 and on December 21 a cataclysmic event is supposed to occur which, according to some, will be the end of the world. "2012 is the year, according [more]

Vampires give teenagers taste for spirituality

Teenagers are not looking for answers to life's big questions in established religious institutions. Instead, they engage in intense idolisation of American films and TV shows about vampires, angels and other [more]

Castlemaine rail museum idea wins support

The Victorian government will consider a bid to bring a railway museum to Castlemaine. Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer addressed a Bendigo Young Nationals conference at the weekend. He threw his support [more]

Dance against want

The Castlemaine Oxfam Group is holding a Bushdance on Saturday, 2 June in the Castlemaine Town Hall, from 6-10pm, to raise money for Oxfam. The Centenary Bushband is playing and the dances will be taught on the [more]

Carbon pricing explained at next ‘Agitation Hill lecture’ in Castlemaine

 With the federal government’s carbon scheme set to take effect on 1 July, energy economist Bruce Mountain will explain the carbon price and what it means for households at the next Agitation Hill lecture in [more]

New research could stop Great Barrier Reef ports

New research identifying greater dangers for whales from the Government’s plans for increased fossil fuel exports should cause the federal Environment Minister to review existing approvals and press pause on further [more]

Happy Volunteer Week!

Join with the Mount Alexander Volunteer Network on Tuesday 15 May for a delicious two-course meal at the Castlemaine Town Hall and receive a complementary express massage! The weekly community lunch, provided by the [more]

Priests

By Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky I’m not a Christian and I don’t believe in ‘God’. I’ve had little contact with organised religion. I know nothing about the Catholic Church, and even less about what it is to be [more]

Mental health misses out

The Government should be building on its commitment to mental health as there remains significant unmet need for essential services, especially in rural areas, Australian Greens spokesperson for Mental Health, Senator [more]

Design Sunday: up-cycling plastic bottles

By Tim Preston Taylor McKenzie-Veal's upcycled piggy bank: "This Little Piggy." Taylor has taken an industrial process and knowledge of plastics to upcycle - as core77 calls this taking low value waste and turning [more]

Sunday fiction: From Thérèse Raquin

By Emille Zola The boat was drifting into a narrow branch of the river between two islands, deep in the shadow. Behind one of these islands, the voices of some rowing-men who were going up the river, resounded [more]

"When U Love Somebody" stop motion adventure

Saturday poem: Epigrama

By Ernesto Cardenal, translated by Andrew McKenna   Me contaron que estabas enamorada de otro y entonces me fue a mi cuarto y escribí ese artículo contra el Gobierno por el que estoy preso. They told [more]