@mudlark  That sounds worth looking for. Thanks for the tip.  In my opinion , the BBC  does not seem too far left. I know because I am way too far left and people need not fear me  because I am the least threatening person I know.  Anyway diversity is the future.

@janetteb  Your story sounds interesting and all too plausible as the poor will…[Read more]

@JanetteB @Mudlark  @nerys

that sounds good -I don’t know if we have it on Netflix or the ABCiview -Janette you might know too? Are you streaming it on the “ever so fast NBN?”  I mean Davie’s series.

We love Killing Eve -it dipped in the first 2 new episodes but has exploded upward since. Have you see Harrow, Janette? If you haven’t been b…[Read more]

@JanetteB that sounds like a good plan. I hope your boys relax a bit and realise they have a life outside of school. I do, and if I didn’t I would be in a position to get better grades but staying up till 1 am is nuts (to me) and I have no real plans to go to university the normal way. So many have different jobs across their life anyway that it’s…[Read more]

@janetteB

the historical integrity of a building ….. is always difficult to balance that against maintaining livability

The Listing system in England, when it works as intended, is supposed to accommodate this balance, and certainly isn’t intended to prevent alteration or additions, so long as Listed Building Consent is applied for and the p…[Read more]

Sorry for the late responses to you all @pedant @janetteb @whisht @mudlark @winston @thane16

Thank you for the kind words but I hope, actually I believe, it’s something anyone could and should do. As I said, I have no training, it just takes a bit of nerve to go up and talk to a stranger. It might take even more nerve to call up a…[Read more]

@janetteB

I think the wooden structure is organic enough to “fit”

That was my reaction also, especially as, so far as one can tell from the photo, the structure appears to be at the rear of the building where there were probably various outhouses and lean-tos originally. The problem over planning consent has arisen, I suspect, because the bui…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave  @JanetteB

Thank you again for the icons -and yes, the White Australia Policy was “covered in class, Mum, only for 20 minutes, Mum.”

Great 🙁

And now we’ve a monologue by Piggy. The teacher (new & on rotation) is one of those who’s read Thane’s draft and hilariously ticked exactly ONE  box which red: “time limit met.” E…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave

I thought it was from (cough wik…edia). Having scoured that & not finding the reference, I have the …other one saying “na na ni nar nar, you should always reference” (in that sing song voice & it’s only 8.30 am!).

Shall I sing “We are one, & we are meeehney, the lah, la, la lah la lah li lah?”

@janetteB me too -on…[Read more]

@JanetteB I like Waleed Aly’s response to compulsory voting, actually:

In a compulsory election, it does not pay to energize your base to the exclusion of all other voters. Since elections cannot be determined by turnout, they are decided by swing voters and won in the center… That is one reason Australia’s version of the far right lacks a…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave

Compulsory voting: the single most civilized thing about the Australian political system, in my opinion.

Agreed. @JanetteB losing faith in this is easy, keeping the faith with it, is the harder struggle.

@blenkinsopthebrave @JanetteB

thank you for your responses regarding ‘icons.’

Agreed: depressing to wake up to but entirely predictable. The notion that a LNP would support and invigorate teaching and education is nonsense, isn’t it? LNP politics argue for continued & increased funding for private education and with fringe parties I’m sure…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave @JanetteB

Dear Mr Blenkinsop at the Blenkinsop manor. I love that phrase. Someone else used the phrase and mum really liked it. I haven’t been on the site in all year.  ANd I agree with what you’re daying. Mum used to say that if she had the lottery she would move to Canada or the US -but she changed from mentioning the US…[Read more]

@thane16 and @janetteb

Oh, crikey. Where to start?

I started writing, but realized (a) it required a lot more thought, and (b) it is close to midnight where I am. So I will respond properly when…well, when we might know who  is the new government.

But before I go to bed I do want to say that in my lifetime, three Prime Ministers changed…[Read more]

@JanetteB

Yes, what was meant was: as an exercise, what things “Australian” pop to mind?  You know, like vegemite (despite, yes, it aint Australian) but meat pies, pavlova, wattle tree, ANZAC biscuits..

Black Arm band for Bob Hawke or Australia in general?

@JanetteB @Blenkinsopthebrave @Craig @pedant @missy @winston

Paging anyone anywhere..

mate of mine is taking a last minute contract at university for 1st years where the topic is, basically, modern Australia. She’s wondering if anyone can add ideas as to what concepts or items are icons for Australia (forgive my bad gramma but it’s “Australia…[Read more]

@JanetteB @blenkinsopthebrave

@Craig  @janetteB

I believe he was viewed as a safe pair of hands

And therein, I think, lies a problem. Because if a safe pair of hands is all the producers of the show have to fall back on Doctor Who will inevitably, whether in the short, medium or longer term, stagnate and lose the magical element which has, with a intermittent hiccups, kept it…[Read more]

@JanetteB Yes, this episode has a strong air of ‘quick, find some more filler!’

Andred seems to be suffering from a certain reluctance to kill his Head of State. Not to mention suffering from an episode where he’s largely acting as an excuse to explain the plot or have the plot explained to him. I’d imagine the long process of teaching him to…[Read more]

@mudlark and @thane16   We have periwinkles here and they are sold as ground cover and tend to grow in shady areas where nothing else wants to grow. I love the dark shiny leaf and the purple/blue colour. I don’t have them here because I am afraid they would get loose and invade the creek banks as a few other plants have done but the in-laws have s…[Read more]

@thane16  @janetteB

TV in reception areas is a menace, but in the clinics and outpatients departments in the hospital here (as far as my experience goes – six different clinics and outpatient departments and counting) the TVs in reception and waiting areas are generally tuned to the BBC News channel and have the sound off and subtitles only, so…[Read more]