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Quick points
* Between Lex and selling stuff, I've had bugger all time to post. So here are a bunch of things I wanted to do proper posts about. 
* Been doing some personal work. One benefit seems to be that I'm having an easier time reading. I've read two books in the last month! Have to see if it lasts.
* Seeing the Aussie meme grow and change is interesting. But seeing it bandied about as "How Australian are you?" and variations thereon is truly sickening. The point was to have a checklist of things that mainly Aussies could mark off, with one or two things to hopefully make them think, not lord Aussie-ness over others.
* Question 15 of the meme resulted in my being called a racist, amongst other things. That's okay, because I think assuming that everyone has spoken to aboriginals because you have is arrogant, and that was the tone of many (not all) of the complaints.
This is a general comment, not aimed at any specific person.
* Finally, while I agree with the comments that people aren't something to be ticked off a checklist, to me if one person came away seriously questioning why they'd never spoken to an aboriginal, then it was worth having in.
* Lex has started to become ticklish. After months of interruptions to so many things, it's nice to have a way to get him back ;-)
* Working through my Superman box set I started with Superman 3 & 4, as I remembered them as being pretty bad and wanted to get them out the way. They were actually worse than I remembered, and I need never watch them again.
* The deleted scenes on Superman 4, with the Nuclear Man prototype, just shows how right they were to cut all that footage. The film would have been even worse if it had been left in.
* The Richard Donner cut of Superman 2 is a huge improvement.
* The Writer's Tale, by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook, is one of the best books on writing I have read. Given how much trouble I have reading, I couldn't put this book down. It was one of the things that inspired me to try and relearn writing.
* The Greatest American Heroine is one of the worst pieces of TV I have ever seen. I almost switched it off, and goodness knows, I've been able to sit through some crap in my time. Poor writing and a dreadful lead actress, brrrr...
* I found Quantum of Solace a disappointing sequel in some ways, not helped by the forced action ending.
* I discovered, quite by chance, that I rock!
* Rewatching season 4 of Doctor Who only reinforced my opinion that Donna is one of the very best companions is the series' 45 year history.
* Most of my customers this year have received copies of the audio of Marco Polo with the stuff they bought. I enjoyed doing that as a surprise Christmas bonus.
* Last year I was able to buy linen pants from one of the cheaper department stores. I can't find them anywhere this year, very disappointing.
* I didn't end up playing Father Christmas this year, which was kind of a shame, but unavoidable with looking after Lex. However I did get a family photo with Santa, so that's alright.
* I am considering dressing unusually for every Christmas photo with Santa to come. This one Sharon complained about me wearing what she calls my 'pimp coat.'
* Roadshow are still slow and incompetent. I'm still waiting on DVD's I should have received at the start of this month.
* We cashed in some of our credit card points, so I finally got a GPS for those times when I get too tired to be able to read a map. It's an interesting device, but I still enjoy finding my own route.
* Getting lost also has its own special charms.
* Rewatched I, Claudius and it was even better the second time around. I think it's going to become a series I watch yearly.
* Mum got me season 1 of Rome. I am looking forward to watching it.
* Have finished swimming for the year. I can actually breathe occasionally during freestyle now. I will miss Sahgee, Satinder, Vivian, and Paul over the break.
* Rewatched Treasure of the Sierra Madre which is a fabulous character study.
* I haven't finished the decorations on the black Christmas tree, but it has many flashing lights, and a skull placed on top.
* Been doing some personal work. One benefit seems to be that I'm having an easier time reading. I've read two books in the last month! Have to see if it lasts.
* Seeing the Aussie meme grow and change is interesting. But seeing it bandied about as "How Australian are you?" and variations thereon is truly sickening. The point was to have a checklist of things that mainly Aussies could mark off, with one or two things to hopefully make them think, not lord Aussie-ness over others.
* Question 15 of the meme resulted in my being called a racist, amongst other things. That's okay, because I think assuming that everyone has spoken to aboriginals because you have is arrogant, and that was the tone of many (not all) of the complaints.
This is a general comment, not aimed at any specific person.
* Finally, while I agree with the comments that people aren't something to be ticked off a checklist, to me if one person came away seriously questioning why they'd never spoken to an aboriginal, then it was worth having in.
* Lex has started to become ticklish. After months of interruptions to so many things, it's nice to have a way to get him back ;-)
* Working through my Superman box set I started with Superman 3 & 4, as I remembered them as being pretty bad and wanted to get them out the way. They were actually worse than I remembered, and I need never watch them again.
* The deleted scenes on Superman 4, with the Nuclear Man prototype, just shows how right they were to cut all that footage. The film would have been even worse if it had been left in.
* The Richard Donner cut of Superman 2 is a huge improvement.
* The Writer's Tale, by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook, is one of the best books on writing I have read. Given how much trouble I have reading, I couldn't put this book down. It was one of the things that inspired me to try and relearn writing.
* The Greatest American Heroine is one of the worst pieces of TV I have ever seen. I almost switched it off, and goodness knows, I've been able to sit through some crap in my time. Poor writing and a dreadful lead actress, brrrr...
* I found Quantum of Solace a disappointing sequel in some ways, not helped by the forced action ending.
* I discovered, quite by chance, that I rock!
* Rewatching season 4 of Doctor Who only reinforced my opinion that Donna is one of the very best companions is the series' 45 year history.
* Most of my customers this year have received copies of the audio of Marco Polo with the stuff they bought. I enjoyed doing that as a surprise Christmas bonus.
* Last year I was able to buy linen pants from one of the cheaper department stores. I can't find them anywhere this year, very disappointing.
* I didn't end up playing Father Christmas this year, which was kind of a shame, but unavoidable with looking after Lex. However I did get a family photo with Santa, so that's alright.
* I am considering dressing unusually for every Christmas photo with Santa to come. This one Sharon complained about me wearing what she calls my 'pimp coat.'
* Roadshow are still slow and incompetent. I'm still waiting on DVD's I should have received at the start of this month.
* We cashed in some of our credit card points, so I finally got a GPS for those times when I get too tired to be able to read a map. It's an interesting device, but I still enjoy finding my own route.
* Getting lost also has its own special charms.
* Rewatched I, Claudius and it was even better the second time around. I think it's going to become a series I watch yearly.
* Mum got me season 1 of Rome. I am looking forward to watching it.
* Have finished swimming for the year. I can actually breathe occasionally during freestyle now. I will miss Sahgee, Satinder, Vivian, and Paul over the break.
* Rewatched Treasure of the Sierra Madre which is a fabulous character study.
* I haven't finished the decorations on the black Christmas tree, but it has many flashing lights, and a skull placed on top.
no subject
Well, yes... We all thought you knew!
Will there be pics of the tree when finished decorating?
I'm not sure why I've never seen I, Claudius (It's got Derek Jacobi in it yes?) Perhaps I should make the effort to find & watch.
And yay for being able to read easier! The idea of not being able to read for me is terrible.
no subject
I've been deliberately choosing things that I could read in short bursts - The Writer's Tale and Geoff Ryman's 253. Have just moved on to a book of short stories, will see how I do.
no subject
I think that is a bit of an overreaction. I didn't see anyone trying to "lord Aussie-ness over others" -- maybe you did, but I don't think slipping from 'how many classic Australian experience have you had' to 'how Aussie are you' qualified as sickening in general.
Question 15 of the meme resulted in my being called a racist, amongst other things
I'd assume only from people that don't know you. And I think a lot of people who get easily outraged about apparent racism don't realise how much racism there really is and how many people really don't mix with people of other races, which I took as one of the points of your question, making people question why they hadn't.
I, Clavdivs (how it appeared in the credits and a running joke with some friends long ago) is a terrific show and one of my all time favourites.
no subject
But that's the nature of the internet. People will change things - I certainly did!
When I was droving I worked with aboriginals. There were other guys who worked with them as well that would literally go out of their way to avoid talking to them. "Tell Harry we need a count on paddock X," quickly becomes a problem when you realise that Harry is only twenty feet away, and this person only tells Harry stuff when they're standing next to each other and there's little choice not to. That an otherwise good people can work with a guy for two years and successfully avoid ever striking up a conversation points to a deeper problem. And as you'd know, there are government types making decisions about aboriginal people without ever having spoken with them as people, without attempting to understand the culture.
I vary between calling it Claudius and Clavdivs, too. I hope I enjoy the series Rome, I think I shall. I've been told the series ends just around the time Claudius begins, so that's handy.
BTW, I liked some of your answers to the meme, I just didn't get around to replying to your post :)
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no subject
I think I might have seen them in Big W as well. They also have all white if you wanted to go for the monochromatic look!
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Anyway, figured you'd be the person to ask regarding advice about travelling with an infant in warm weather. More here;
http://mireille21.livejournal.com/279966.html?view=992670#t992670