Peaceful art class.

We have come to take it for granted that criminals, droogs and protesting crowds are rounded up like cattle................. herded by savage dogs........ and pacified by violent means...........and use storm troppers armed like feudal warriors in feudal armour. We take it all for granted. 

A Clockwork Orange (1970s) was......was... a British satire.

Demolition. Not long before this, kids made ad hoc use of the derelict building for skateboarding etc.  Angry boys?!  (Angry Boys on ABC TV from Chris Lilley with HBO as co-producer and pre sale to BBC.  Whatever will they make of the series?)  

On another tack, is it quaint to see the Latin term, ad hoc used in a question on today's census form?  Ques 49... Ad hoc help or assistance, such as shopping....

From Macquarie Dictionary: ad hoc: 2. impromptu. An ad hoc decison is one made with regard to the exigencies of the moment.

Holiday reading.

Catch of the day

Fisherman

On a corner of the park in Lambton the citizens are blessed with flowers and with books in a branch of the City Library.

Lava Lamp experiment! Is it a fizzer?
Method: into a small amount of water add food colouring. Add cooking oil to fill the container. Add a soluble asprin (or another substance that fizzes) and watch an amazing lava lamp show begin! (instructions from ABC radio)
Repeat, as desired, later on, when the action finishes and the fluids settle and clear, the oil may be recovered again. Green or blue could look best. Olive oil was used here. Don't use a tightly fitted lid.

The Chinese and others gave a rousing welcome to the Olympic Torch as it reached its destination in Canberra.
Just a jump to the left..... lets do the time warp again.... had we joined in the Long March?
As if uplifted by Bruch's First Violin Concerto, orchestrated crowds responded with song and flag waving. It was powerful.
Overnight, busloads of students from Sydney and Melbourne etc had arrived to witness the Journey of Harmony and naturally were full of fervent sentiments.
The Tibetan supporters were shunted to one side and a standoff was controlled by police who stood between the vitriolic shouters and the chanters.
My compatriots were few and far between and the air was tinged with alienation (or is that from Canberra itself) but one could enter into the spirit and chat with a number of the visitors; sip Chinese tea tasting; enjoy very very good singing from the Samsung Choir; see drumming and dancing by a clever Chinese troupe and leave before Shannon Noll took to the stage.
No, its not The Great Wall Of China!
























Above: Monash Student with sign. No mobiles?

7.35am/5 degrees C says the ABC Media: an early start was appropriate due to the spreading road closures for the relay to take place and for a day of exploitation.

For things Chinese, an old film, 55 Days At Peking, (now Beijing), for all its faults, has a sense of history and is entertaining - up to a point. Made in Spain in 1963 the celestial throne room still has a commendable air of authenticity. The grand tale of the Boxer uprising probably has its inaccuracies and revisionism yet gives us an insight into the glorious past. The first half is best, there is no sex and there is a type of violence and one scene is something of a predecessor of Kill Bill.

DID YOU LOSE SOMETHING?

There is a collector in this car workshop near KMart.

GO KART TITLES

Go Karting. National titles in Newcastle and then how it was done in the bronze age.

NATIONAL TITLES AT NEWCASTLE GO KART CLUB

Winners pass scrutiny, yesterday. Go Kart events start with the Midgets, about seven year old, on upwards. Some girls compete.
Below is a 'photo' from the 1970s at the same club, naturally the changes are hugh.

SOLSTICE

Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church, Laman Street and beyond to the Conservatorium Hall, taken early May.
We are close to mid winter and close to the shortest day and the winter Solstice with morning light about 7 am and darkness around 5pm and today is really wintery by our standards.
The church spire has a tiny resemblance to one in Vienna shown in the introduction to the series, Kommissar Rex, on SBS TV. This canine detective would be known world wide.

The Royal Hotel

Australiana: Royal Hotel in small heritage village of Bungendore, dating back to the 1830's which is quite early hereabouts.
MUDCHOOKS: (Chooks aka chickens) After 100 years the town has a Rugby team once again and just reached the grand final only to be beaten.
In another match, this weekend, they challenged a revived Wallaby team, the Silver Foxes, with some of the Wallaby legends. Chooks v foxes!
Word gets around because Canterbury International (NZ) is supporting the Mudchooks, naturally enough.

Otherwise, the Newcastle League Great, legend Andrew (Joey) Johns, has finished his career due to injury. Our team, The Knights will have to move on.

Pedagogy On The Beach

How much can a van hold? Thirteen surf boards and then some. School kids do surfing like any other sport so its waiting for the grommets near Nobbys Beach. I hope they discover a long-term fun thing to do and enjoy the exercise.

71 Coal Ships wait off port. Politicans posture about delays and point to the inadequacy of the port while avoiding the major issues surrounding the use of coal and global warming. Even with its so-called deficiencies, the resource is plundered at a rate never before known, yet the rhetoric is to endlessly increase coal loading capacity. There must be a happy medium.

Newcastle Triathlon Club. Set of 2