Sunday, October 24, 2010

Superman (It's not easy)


Five for Fighting sing "Superman (It's Not Easy)"

GJoves put this great Five for Fighting song together with images from the 2006 movie, "Superman Returns" to create a very cool Youtube music video. The distinctive Martin Place fountain, in the Sydney CBD, is glimpsed.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A cameo for Therin

An interesting use of Youtube and photo editing tools to present a "Star Trek" fan story as a photostory:


"Angels of Acheron, Part I",
a photostory sequel to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
by pauln6

Spot the cameo by Therin of Andor in Part II:


"Angels of Acheron, Part II",
by pauln6

Thanks Paul! Looking forward to Part III! And, in case you mised the cameo, here it is:

Therin cameo

The central character in this still is a female Andorian security guard, utilising Suzie Plakson's "Tarah" head (from "Star Trek: Enterprise"). She'll feature more in Part III, Paul informs me.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The joy of unpacking

When we last left Ian, like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives..., he said, optimistically, "looks like the unpacking will be up to me (which I'm quietly pleased about, because I need to do lots of culling)."

Library 7

Well, here we are at Day #2 of Project BER and things are going swimmingly. On Tuesday I wandered around my new BER library space in a daze for about two hours, tinkering here and there, unpacking a box here, having lessons in lights and door locks there, but I was able to coerce a teacher-librarian colleague to check out the job facing me and we agreed things weren't too bad at all. But what a challenge!

The previous library was hideously overstocked and over-furnished, so looking at the bare minimum new library furnishings allocated to a school of our population, and the hundreds of cartons needing to be unpacked, was very difficult. The Principal's first comment was that there seemed to be "lots of shelves" but I knew immediately there was much less than we'd had before. I resolved to let that panic aid in my cull. A friend commented tonight that it was appalling that a TL had to do his own unpacking, but I explained that it's my job to do the decision-making on what I cull - and I'd much rather cull as each box is emptied, and do so methodically. There certainly won't be enough shelves to take the full capacity of all the boxes. (We had a team of eight pro packers to pack up the old library, but it happened so fast I couldn't cull as we went. I could barely keep up with labelling. Just imagine the mess if they had come back to unpack and only got halfway through before running out!)

I realised today that, had I tried to cull stock in the old library, I couldn't have been this ruthless. In the new library, surrounded by the wonderful smell of newness, culling is easy. "Do I really want this old, wrinkled, stained book (that I recall borrowing at my own primary school in the 60s) on the new, pristine shelves?" Nah. Easy! Imagine if we'd received exactly the replacement furniture that we'd had before: I wouldn't have culled much at all, and we'd end up with the same problems we'd had before.

Yesterday on my own, Junior Fiction A-C then back to teach a class of school camp leftovers. Today all day plus a trained helper, Junior Fiction D-Z and Fiction A-O, culling all the way! Good progress, methinks. The Principal has taken me off most of my teaching responsibilities for the time being, our head clerical sourced a trained library assistant for two days (to start), my regular SASS person is ducking across at every spare opportunity (library is only one-fifth of her weekly duties) and we are aiming to have the library open for Week 7, running to the usual timetable. This being Week 2 of the term, my door-to-door wandering minstrel act is finally over. This strategy will give the students their first taste of the new library before 2010 ends. Normally I'd be stocktaking the last three weeks but I'm going to try to get the disposed items noted in OASIS (and to complete a stocktake) after getting all the boxes unpacked.

I'm blissfully happy, but dusty, after a full day of drudgery that is unpacking. Books, books, books, a bear, a chook (great help, not - see above pic), and more books. Tomorrow I'm on my own again, and in the afternoon I'm back teaching the class of school camp leftovers. On Friday, my trained helper is back. Two parents have also popped in today, offering their services whenever I need it. We are getting there! Wish me luck!

Boxes
Towards the back is a small selection of the many boxes yet to be opened.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

"Always Jack" launch at the Hughenden!

"Always Jack" launch

I was thrilled to have been invited to the book launch of "Always Jack" tonight - for the third book in what is now a trilogy of wonderful, hilarious, bittersweet, relevant children's novels written by Susanne Gervay. While the first book, "I am Jack" dealt with the issue of school bullying (and has also become a play), "Super Jack" concentrated on the issue of blended families and this new one has a strong focus on family reactions to a mother being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The launch was at the atmospheric Hughenden Boutique Hotel in Woollahra. While my feet haven't really forgiven me for my brisk/strenuous walk there (and back!) from Central Station, I always enjoy that journey, if only for the window shopping along Oxford Street (Darlinghurst, then Paddington, then Woollahra) to get there.

Susanne & Cathy

Susanne and the book's illustrator, Cathy Wilcox, were busily signing copies near the front entrance when I arrived and I made sure to get a personal copy and one for the school. Special thanks to Cathy for adding a bonus "Jack" sketch to her signature.

Lisa & LisawhiteSusanne & "Rob"
Left: Lisa Berryman, publisher, looks on while Lisa Forrest launches "Always Jack".
Right: Susanne Gervay is photographed by her husband (the model for "Rob" in the books).

Thanks to Susanne and all her helpers for a fun night! On the way back to the station, I managed to miss my fast train home, by mere seconds, because I paused at a Paddington cake shop to photograph these:

Elmo & Joker
Two designer cakes to keep you laughing?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A feet of graffiti

Fence down

The temporary fence finally came down on the new school library, just after the new signage, old shade cloth and new TV aerial went up (it's been many years since our school had a functional TV aerial!).

Bird graffiti

The beautifully-laid new concrete went unmarred by students and adults attempting to sign their name in the wet cement - but one of our playground birds managed to perform a spectacular "feet" of graffiti.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sick doggy

#57

I'm missing the Jack Russell, who spent the night at the vet. X-rays seem to indicate a lesion in his neck muscle from a bony spur. This situation is giving him arthritic pain every time he turns his head to the left. They think.

Even in his pain, he has thoroughly entertained the vets. They were in hysterics on the phone yesterday. Jack really deserves an Academy Award for playing the part of "sick doggy, sick doggy" (rather like the pic above, ears pinned back, sad eyes), but... only when someone looks at him.

Monday, October 11, 2010

The glommer burps!

Glommer awaits

The glommer, a prototype genetically-engineered tribble predator created by Klingons ("More Tribbles, More Troubles" episode of Filmation's Star Trek: The Animated Series), stalks a group of tribbles. The glommer is the four-legged, orange creature pictured above. Note that the handsome brown tribble (left) once appeared onscreen in the live-action "The Trouble With Tribbles".

Glommer pounces
The glommer selects a Filmation-pink "safe" tribble, which has also been
genetically enhanced to prevent it multiplying out of control.


Glommer sated
An upside down glommer is sated!

The Klingons' glommer breeding program must have been successful after all: glommers (each with one "safe" TAS pink tribble as sustenance) are finally available through David Gerrold's Tribble Toys website or Roddenberry.com!

Glommer
As it appeared on "More Tribbles, More Troubles"

A hungry giraffe?

Hungry giraffe poster

Okay, this giraffe was actually a giant-sized poster I passed (in Sydney's CBD on Saturday), but that plant was on the wrong side of the glass, and it was pretty dead anyway. Cruel!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Star Trek framed!

Limited edition film clips - Star Trek (2009)
Limited edition film clips - Star Trek (2009)

I picked this up yesterday from Greenlight Memorabilia Works, who have a stall in The Rocks' weekend street markets. Mine is #16 of 250. Very cool!

I accidentally made a self-portrait in my first attempt to backlight and photograph the film clips:

Self-portrait over Star Trek

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Happy 75th Luna Park Sydney!

Feeling nostalgic in Milson's Point today (I went off to Luna Park to pick up some anniversary goodies!), I realised that the Youtube footage of the "Number 96" characters' 1976 visit to Luna Park Sydney is actually missing its fleeting glimpse of the familiar face! In this, Luna Park's 75th Anniversary week, I believe it's about time to dig out the ol' pics!

Luna Park in 1976
Luna Park in "Number 96" in '76

Big Dipper with Sydney Harbour Bridge in the backgroundwhiteBig Dipper

Dorrie on the Big Dipper
Dorrie, Herb, Flo and Junior on the Big Dipper

Topsy Turvy HousewhiteTopsy Turvy Flo
Topsy Turvy Flo

Herb and FlowhiteDorrie's chips
Refreshments? Now?

Junior Winthrop eating hot chipswhiteJunior Winthrop on the Tumble Bug
Junior feasts on hot chips and heads for the Tumble Bug

Dorrie staggers
Dorrie staggers

Fairy Floss in Coney IslandwhiteA touch of Marilyn - air vent in Coney Island
Fairy floss - and a touch of Marilyn with an air vent, Coney Island

Sydney Harbour Bridge backdrop
Sydney Harbour Bridge backdrop

Return to the Big DipperwhiteBack on the Big Dipper
Back on the Big Dipper!

One last piewhiteStaggering out the front gate
One more pie before home!

(Airdate of "And They Said It Wouldn't Last": 24/06/76, Network Ten.)

As for today:

75th Anniversary Luna Park Sydney Monopoly
Yes, it's 75th Anniversary Luna Park Sydney Monopoly!
Limited to 2500 copies, available only from their souvenir shop or the website!

My Aussie Monopoly tokens

I got to thinking, though: this game needed some Aussie icons as tokens, not the traditional car, shoe, thimble, hat, etc. Racing past three George Street souvenir shops, on my way to the railway station, I quickly found a miniature Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in painted resin, a Kombi van with surfboard on top (pencil topper), a silver and enamelled thong (flip flop) with road signs on the inner sole (mobile phone charm), fuzzy kangaroo and koala (keyrings) and two thimbles, illustrating a boomerang and Sydney Tower. Clever, eh?

Friday, October 08, 2010

Andrew gets framed

Andrew framed

I was wandering through Spotlight (in Nowra, NSW) and noticed this rather cool UR1 International "Lifetime 9 Opening" black frame for $40 - nine frames, but all-in-one construction - perfect for displaying the three Andrew Günsberg 365 portraits I bought from him (mounted pics now affixed over the existing frame boxes), the little exhibition description cards (still with their orange "sold" stickers), a print-out of the official poster, plus the two pics he took on that final day of the exhibit. I saw the frame while on vacation - and raced back the next day to buy it when I realised it seemed tailor-made for the job!

Andrew framed 2

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Meerkats of South Nowra

Meerkats of South Nowra
Spotted in the garden of a cabin in the caravan park at South Nowra.
(I've also seen them in the Penny Miller homewares catalogue.)

Goldfish plant

From my Mum's hanging basket. I've had great success rooting cuttings from my own goldfish plant, so we'll see how successful I can be.