I know it aint Christmas but I wanted some Benjamin Britten I could actually share with you. ‘This Little Babe’ is considered one of the most challenging for any children’s choir. Our nun, a delightful demon by the name of Sister Alphonsus taught it to us in 4 months. At this tempo. Which is correct. 1 min 3o seconds generally. They came in a…[Read more]

@Craig

Yesterday after our QCS test (Qld Core Skills ) test, a man was on the stage in the hall. He spoke about how important it is before these tests (they’re about 9 hours worth in October) to get a good sleep and not worry too much. I knew I’d pretty much failed the practise test because most of it is geography, maths and science. 🙁

He’d…[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]

@Craig

Well that’s very difficult, but as your neighbour says, you really can’t save everyone. Nor can you always be in the right place to save them. And sometimes it takes a few gentle words, kind words, particularly if you happen to know the person relatively well. Or a bit.

I remember, nearly two years back at 5 am my mum being told, “Oh, get…[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]

@whisht

Oh now, that is VERY interesting -a double minimalist piece using contrary time sigs!

Exactly like Thane and I !

Naturally, I thought we were no longer @Thane’s but ….the other ….one…which I can’t ever spell. Actually I can’t be in the same room as the ….other one or we go all “kerblooey.”

Sygers.

@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]

@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

@pedant indeed yes, this track showed his comedic quality when prior it was all “take me very seriously intensity.”

Whistle Test -know it well. Various faculties had access to whole boxes of recorded cassettes!

Time was a beast, though.

@pedant

Well, normally I’d agree but Meatloaf is TGOAT -his inspiration only from Zeus. Karla is Hecate. Or….something.

She’s unbelievably good isn’t she?

And I think, I think, Paradise is the best rock song ever written, actually.

Closely followed, of course, by Wilde’s Kids in America…. (Seen recently in S2 of Killing Eve)

Puro

I remember many eons ago putting on Calamity Jane – we had a drum-kit & 2 keyboards only & a fantastic young Maori lass as Calamity.  “Calamity’s word is sacred!”

@pedant  @craig

Absolutely phenomenal, wasn’t she?

Two nights ago we were watching a Doris Day movie (hadn’t done this in AGES) and when we awoke the next morning, found out she’d died.

A genuine talent to be missed.