Since we don’t live by politics alone (I sincerely hope), what did people get up to this weekend? Join in, share some tales, regulars and lurkers all!
Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas
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Flooding everywhere here in Metro Manila, i.e. normal rainy season conditions. Bought 6 kilos of prime parrot fish at the local fish market for $10, and a kilo of live jumbo prawns for $5. Might have seafood for dinner.
I just saw the Alphonse Mucha exhibition at the Kitakyushu art gallery. Very very nice! His art is very impressive and classic art nouveau.
Apart from time spent on LP yesterday,had a visitor. Sat around discussing whether the June 1780 Gordon Riots were a lower order rebellion, as some historians argue, or whether it was a rebellion of the middling sort and to what extent the riots were anti-Catholic and/or anti establishment. Watched New Tricks, aanother bloody ABC repeat, The Bill, then the DVD of Boeowulf. The CGI effects were terrible.
Today, apart from a brief time on LP, spent the day taking notes from Stephen Rumbold Lishington’s The Life And Services of General Lord Harris, G.C.B, During His Campaigns In America, The West Indies, And India. (These Victorian era scholars (just, 1845) have wonderful names sometimes, don’t they? Spent most of afternoon changing quotes from this book in footnotes in chapters already written taken from secondary sources to direct quotes from this edition. Book will be very useful for several of the American campaigns, and all quotes from it in future chapters will come from this edition, so I figured I better make them consistent. Anyway, it offended my tidy scholarly mind.
Can we haz the smileys back plz?
After responding to Pavlov’s Cat comment yesterday “Sorry, Annabel, not good enough” by giving her advice to drink the product she had purchased from Dan Murphy’s before she watched last night’s news, I thought it was such a good idea that I proceeded to do just that finishing over the course of the evening one whole bottle of red. Result: I have spent the day recouping from such an indiscretion. I apologise to PC and hope she did not follow my advice.
Tonight I make my second iteration of Deborah’s self saucing pudding.
Made it for the first time shortly after that was posted and it turned out more than acceptable even though I stuffed up the proportions a bit. This time I intend to nail it.
Self-saucing pudding is a bit like a metaphor for this election.
Paul, I am in feckin’ awe of your tidy scholarly mind.
Everyone:
Went to Rockhampton’s annual Rocky Swap. Heaps to see; miles of walking; tons of fun; saw many old acquaintences. Bought battered copy of Ion Idress’ “Gold Dust and Ashes” about gold mining in PapuaNiugini in first decades of 20C. Also bought a cooking videotape (alright, so it’s old-fashioned). Truckloads of beaut old tools there but don’t need any more. A thoroughly pleasant non-election day.
Mediatracker: I went out to a very lovely dinner and therefore (partly because I was driving, partly because I like to Keep Myself Nice) did not overindulge. I am sorry to have been the occasion, however inadvertently, of your indisposition.
Spent most of yesterday in the company of various people under 23, which I don’t get to do that often and is always nice.
Have just put the osso buco in the oven so it’ll be a late dinner, even for CST. Roll on spring when I can grow good herbs again.
I could have done with a day like that Graham Bell – I used to love selling stuff at Trash and Treasure Sundays at the drive in in Adelaide in the 80s – a really fun day.
@Pavlov’s Cat – gardening over the weekend – my partner is mad keen and if you have a sunny flat garden in Brisbane you can grow all sorts of stuff ‘right now’. Also I painted the verandah ralings. And did a couple of short pieces for fretless bass (which I do enjoy playing)
I have returned from aridity of semi exiled thesis writing to warn you of dark happenings here on this very thread. If you care about the fate of humankind, you will not bring back those demoniacal smiley circles, that the Burns is pining for. Have you no idea of their power? Do not let him glamour you. Burns is an ancient witch of great magicks, make no mistake. Do not fall for his cuteness. Those smileys will make him unbearable at covens for starters, but I am not here to talk internal politics. No, let me gather my great cape about me as I tell you this: Those smileys are the secret talismans that keep the heavens and earths separate. Don’t let that thunder clap divert you, you fickle creatures, listen to this instead: Give those smileys back to him and we are all done for. Great creatures will rise from the abyss and rule the earth. No, not Tony Abbott – whippy snappy beasts with tails. And then darker horrors will come upon us: The Burns will be using those frackin grinning yellow orbs of death at the end of every frackin sentence. I know him. He’s done it before. Its an orgy of homicidal yellow globes with this dark lord. He cares naught for the mere mortals of the earth, nor those with phobias about those face things grinning grinning grinning glowing in the dark fuckers.
But I do.
Do not give him the smileys.
You have been warned.
You appear to be implying that Tony Abbott is not a whippy snappy beast with a tail. I beg to differ.
As for the beglamouring Burns, let him do his worst. If we must, there is always the secret weapon: a stakeholder through the heart.
I would have thought that a biro would have been more appropriate. A steakholder is likely too blunt to do sufficient damage to anyone.
And after all, is not the pen mightier than the proverbial sword?
Discovered that they still press 78 records in Nashiville then did a kinda “of course but where else?”…
So the shadow cabinet and one JWH, Casey?
Not this weekend but last week, went up to Lake Eyre and put my inflatable into the water.
I’ve been up there a lot of times and it is just mind boggling to see it full of water .. and see seagulls and ducks..
Joined that (very) small elite … paddled/sailed/etc a boat on Lake Eyre .. amazing.
What an incredble country this is.
I’m watching Dateline on SBS. The current item is about Prince Philip as a cargo cult god on some island in Vanuatu.
I hadn’t realised that the old bugger is 89. He looks pretty good for his age.
Thinking of stakes, I don’t have much of one in this election, because we are moving home to New Zealand at the end of the year, ‘though I promise to cast my vote carefully before I flee.
Also thinking of steaks, some friends came round for dinner. I served a “b” main course: – braised beef short ribs, haricot beans and pine nuts, broccolini, roasted brussells sprouts, bashed white kumara. It was delicious. Orange semolina cake for dessert, followed by choccies. And more wine. Also tea and coffee. It was one of those excellent dinners where a group of people who didn’t know each other talked and talked and talked ’til nearly midnight, when we thought that it might be time to finish it up and put the children to bed. Good food, good wine, excellent company.
Worked. But first I slept in and got to work late.
Ate breakfast — and lunch — on the locomotive (toasted bacon sandwiches without butter) while my mate drove us all the way to the Creek of Murphy.
Brought the full(ish) train back two hours early, only to find there was a two-hour wait to unload.
But someone else was arranged to come out and unload the train for us, so it was an early finish.
Lots of kangaroos on the tracks, too. Hit none of them, but noticed an enormous wedge-tail eagle lofting from a fence-post nearby.
And to think this non-practicing journo got paid to have such fun. I reckon I got paid a lot more than most of the press scrum that are travelling the country asking trivialities of senior pollies, too.
Slept in – COLD here this morning. Did the laundry, studied for my SSE exam, watched a bit of TV, grazed, tried (no luck) to fix the rinse aid dispenser on the dishwasher. Cleaned off my toolbench, churned through about 3 weeks of work email, studied a bit more, took the girl to the park and sat in the sun. Feasted on garlic prawns for dinner (courtesy of my darling wife), bit more study. Can’t say I feel any closer to being able to regurgitate the CMS&H Act, but I suppose I must be. Generally bludged – got away with it because the last 3 weekends have been MASSIVE, and cold mornings means no-one else in the house is up before 11!
Well jane, Pav, I don’t mind. You should feel free to make this story of how Paul Burns unleashed the Dawn of the Living Liberal Dead upon us with the use of his infernal smiley faces. I am sure he would be delighted.
Anyway, I’m all for Mark Latham playing a prominent role, set loose upon the earth just like Milton’s Death – wilting the roses as he proceeds and setting the animals against each other for all eternity.
Paul @ 4 Well, I fell in love today. How’s that for a smiley? Can’t think why I haven’t really appreciated before that Julia Gillard is a magnificent woman with brains, poise and determination. I hope other people appreciated how well she handled the interview with Barry Cassidy this morning, well the whole bloody media for weeks on end for that matter. As we’ve seen too often with other brilliant women she’s been promoted, brought in, at a critical time to save a disastrous situation which is not of her making.
Somewhere else Paul you commented about your sanity and the suspicion of a conspiracy in the media to bring her down. I’m sane and I’ve thought for months that Rudd was being targeted mercilessly and there was a possibility that a really successful government was likely to fall to an underserving Coalition. Some in the Labor party obviously hoped that the switch to Julia with an early election would short circuit that likelihood. It’s astonishing though how effective has been the counter attack to undermine Julia too, essentially by starving her of positive air time. Frustrating for all of us that we see and hear so little of her in her best light. I cheered myself up in the garden today still hoping for good things for Julia in spite of it all. Hope the Bard will forgive me, and that Australians will come to their senses and give themselves the opportunity to love and appreciate their first female PM.
Who is Julia?
Who is Julia? what is she,
That all around commend her?
Funny, fair, and wise is she;
What luck that fate here sent her,
So one day she’d PM be.
She’s as kind as she is fair.
Her humor shows her kindness.
Look into her eyes and there,
You’ll see warmth and aliveness,
Heart of gold, much like her hair.
Then for Julia let us vote.
For Julia is excelling
She beats each and everything
On which false Abbott’s dwelling.
Let’s all help her victory bring!
Casey @ 11:
“…semi exiled thesis writing …”
My deepest empathy. Five years ago now, but the wounds are still throbbing.
If anybody needs cheering up, maybe this’ll do the trick…
First part here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tq7Bm6IM-g
second part, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxmDlsu2B78&feature=related
Who woulda guessed that, at the very summit of Mount Olympus, there’s a big ol’ playground?
Bunch of Old Masters just goofing around like they were kids again, except with better chops. Delish. The studio version’s even better…
Thank you very very much Fiona. I will gratefully take empathy whenever it is offered! Still throbbing you say? Very worrying.
All power to your broom, Casey. To be serious, the wounds healed v quickly – I think any throbbing that’s going on at the moment has much more to do with where tf to I migrate to in a fortnight’s time?
The actual completion of the thesis, and the end of the examination, is (as Mitford put it) blissikins.
The pudding rocked our world! Deb if you must return to Aotearoa please keep sending the recipes!
Mediatracker@5 and PC@9…by some accident of happenstance I also polished off a complete bottle of Dan Murphy’s finest cleanskin cab merlot last night and while I wouldn’t have a passed any kind of test – and so didn’t try – I was reasonably fine and more than quite OK this morning. A bargain at $8.75 I reckon.
Due to my inattention my partner accidentially made four times the recipe rather than double. So now we have huge amounts of chocolate self-saucing pudding to eat. It is disturbingly more-ish.
These traumas resulting from internet addiction are severe and longlasting. I shall be unable to sleep for several days, and my well develop diabetes.
Sunday: Two long naps – battling a cold. Return to Cranford, Devil Wears Parada. Very indulgent sort of a day.
Casey and Burns, I’m warned. Warned and shivering.
So anybody else have Dom Knight’s book about student politics at the Sydney Uni SRC c. 1999? All I’ve heard’s the hype.
It’s on my dining table fresh in its bookshop paper bag, ready for the train tomorrow, and there must be other commenters around who share my roots.
Expect a review should no-one else feel like it.
Yep, got it for SMH review. In fact I might make it the next one I read — thanks for reminding me it’s there. I will of course be assessing it on its merits as a novel, not its historical accuracy or otherwise!
His last novel, which was also his first novel, was actually very sweet. It’s a strange adjective for a Chaser boy, or so you’d think, but there it is.
Oh dear – last verse is not quite true to the Bard’s rhyme, mainly because I did not review before submitting. I am missing the review panel. No one has jumped on me for it but I still must correct it, please moderator, just in some case perfectionist eye like PC’s catches it! Verse 3 should be deleted and replaced with:-
Julia’s campaign song let’s sing
For Julia is excelling.
She beats each and everything
On which false Abbott’s dwelling.
Let’s all help her victory bring!
Had a few doubts how some hardheads might view my outburst of affection for Julia @ 22. It’s such a cynical world out there right now in politics. But after watching Cranford with Miss Matty’s final word on ‘Love’ I am willing to again hope for a happy ending to Julia’s story.
Cranford’s wonderful isn’t it? I only got around to reading it 3 or so years ago. Anyone who hasn’t read it and enjoys early C19th period go to the library and get it, stat.
Helen, on the immigrant ships to Australia in the 19thC sometimes a sort of book club would form where people who’d brought books would swap them around and sometimes actual little circulating libraries would form. There was quite a lot of trouble on one such voyage when the ship’s only copy of Cranford mysteriously disappeared. Accusations were made, feelings hurt and opprobrious epithets hurled.
Was an absolutely gorgeous weekend of weather down here!
On the cooking theme, heart foundation recipes for tomato soup are immensely improved by the addition of substantial amounts of salt, sour cream, and parmesan cheese.
First impressions: roman à clef, except for a few institutions and tickets which are described entirely from life. The lawyer’s disclaimer at the front is just that.
Should be read as a matched pair with John Hyde-Page’s remarkable Education of a Young Liberal.
A very quiet Sunday for me, laid low by the dreaded lurgy, therefore mostly lurking on the couch with a lapcat. Feeling much better today.
Cranford is a great book because it lays down the idea of the workings and philosophy of a community operating on cooperation, good faith and goodwill, against orthodox “selfish individualism”, greed and appetite for power and control, contrasted in the ugly and hierarchical world of toxic slave labor in cotton mills and other forms of industrialism functioning as mechanism for colonisation, if you like, of organic communities.
Its a great response to the sexual and class divisions of labor that crunched traditional communities, households and interpersonal relations and parenting, as the industrial revolution gained momentum, a point the strong feminist reading of Cranford adds to the overal left liberal critique to update an evolving critique of industrialism, since the time of Dickens and Marx.
Just how significant that an alternative working model is presented, in addition to the earlier social writing from writers like the Brontes and Dickens, likely can’t be underestimated. I’d Imagine William Morris and later eighteenth century thinkers may well have been influenced by the “Cranford” vision.
It’s a tremendously relevant statement just now, given what’s behind the current election here, imho and globalisation in general.
I spent Sunday in a leisurely drive home from Adelaide. Mitcham F.C. had a past players day to remember the 1960 Premiership win.
Great to catch up with all the survivors and to watch a bit of “tribal” footy.
Last weekend of the Melbourne Film Festival, so films, films and then more films. Two absolute stunners. A Thai film called ‘Uncle Boonmee who Can Recall His Past Lives’ and a Chilean film called ‘Nostalgia for the Light’.
Neither will get a theatrical release and both need to be seen on the big screen. They’re what makes film festivals worthwhile.
Mr Merkel @ 36- get thee to Masterchef and produce the soup du jour. Tomato soup from scratch – I have never got it right.The salt, cream and cheese is not just a taste saver, its a matter of survival for this cook – add fresh buttered toast.
Deborah: Any suggestions (for fresh and canned varities?
Finished tracking drums, and my ankle held out for some okay takes. Had some fun times with ancient outboard preamps/compressors/equalisers packing up for no obvious reason and needing the Fonzie treatment, running out of patch leads and having to solder new ones, but the old tape machine did lovely things to the sound of my drumset.
It would have been an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the value of tape to a doubter – we were recording simultaneously into ProTools and a late 70s Studer 2-inch, and the a-b comparison was crazy. The analogue recording, re-imported onto the computer, sounded like someone (and someone pretty decent) had already spent an hour or so mixing it.
I’ve never tried it, but apparently slow-roasting the tomatoes first is the go.
Then you add the salt, cream and cheese.
Casey @ 11, and PC,
That was brilliant. Just the good laugh I needed. Much appreciated.
Helen @ 7,
Yeah. But if you don’t take the time to get the little things right, you probably won’t take the time to get the big things right. And if you get stuff wrong, your peers hammer you. Carelessness is inexcusable, a lesson I had hammered into me at great cost and to my great benefit from a few very brilliant teachers in the history dept. at UNE. besides, I quite enjoy the quiet satisfaction of finding and fixing up stuff. The compliment was much appreciated.
Okay Liamista, that’s once you told me to read it and twice you’ve recommended it so I went to Amazon to purchase John Hyde Page’s account of Young Liberalism and it’s like $359.62 or something.
It’s become a collectors item now. Hold on to your copy!
Happy to please Paul!
A good piece in The Guardian about Jimi Hendrix.
Casey, I can see the Fisher copy’s out on loan, but there’s one at the Mitchell Library.
Take the day off and spend it in the reading room. It’s worth it.
I already posted this on the election thread, but anyone having a lazy Monday can spend some of it costing the Libs money, by clicking on the link they’ve sponsored to top the results at google every time someone searches for a non-lib candidate by name.
They’re paying per click, quite a bit I’m told, and haven’t capped the total numbers as far as I can tell (the link would stop appearing if their credit ran out with the big G).
Yes Paul Burns.
Not the big things but little things that spring unnoticed, thru complacency and lack of attentiveness.
Then there is an acident of some sort, and you are left with the depressing thought that you harmed, or even might have harmed, someone because of your carelessness.
Did anyone see the movie “Damage”, with Jeremy Irons, a few years ago?
The fallen individual here suffers the full consequences, a sort of lingering death in life through conscience, that came of the vanity and complacency that, in a trice, cost him the most precious thing in his life; his own beautiful, trusting son.
Oh excellent, MQ’s library has Hyde Page’s book available. I was only ever a spectator at student politics, perhaps the ideal reader, or perhaps not.
Thanks for that Liam. I will let you know what I think and who I think!
Casey @11, the seriousness of your warning will, I suggest, be obscured by the mirthuous heavings you provoke.
PC @12 “a stakeholder through the heart” heh!
Best use of (and fate of) a stakeholder I’s ever heared.
Fiona @23: a friend described the doing of a PhD as “applying a blow-torch of self-doubt to one’s own belly”… cruel but apt, I thought.
The glorious daphnes are in full bloom, and the jonquils march resplendent. All’s right with the garden.
SMILEY
Well then, what I think.