Revelations

It's a completely cool, multi-purpose blog.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Let's get into this country

Woohoo! My Dad has arrived in town along with my Aunt Lorna and Uncle Alan, which is great fun. Beth is already enjoying having extra people around to spoil her, although I think sleeping in our clothes cupboard* has come as a bit of a shock. Photos soon.

The visit means we will be spending the next few weeks doing our Standard Sydney Tour – Manly Ferry, Parramatta Rivercat, Wiseman’s Ferry, West Head, Avoca Beach – together with some more novel (for me) diversions like Canberra and The Hunter Valley.

The other nightI went to a grand old cinema for a screening of 2001 in a spiffy 70mm print. I’m guessing that it’s the same print that M&I saw at the NFT a few years back, but this was a few years back. I still think it’s a front-runner for the Greatest Film Ever Made trophy, though I have yet to see either Aguirre or The Battle of Algiers on the big screen. The screening was prefaced by a Q&A with the two leads from the film. Keir Dullea was a charmer and he seemed embarrassed by the brusque egocentricity of Gary Lockwood. I suspect he was aware that, while adequate, the acting is the least of the attributes that make 2001 a masterpiece. And besides, Lockwood, if you’re so great how come you’re wearing terrible tracksuit trousers and make a living signing Star Trek DVDs at $25 a pop?

Stratmeister was the interviewer for the Q&A and I was back in his august presence last night for my course. The movie was In Cold Blood – brilliantly shot and well acted, but an over-familiar story by now and an inappropriate and intrusive Quincy Jones score.

One more thing – Camera Obscura are ace. Tarah!

*OK, it’s a walk-in wardrobe bigger than our living room in Manor Park

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Like a drunken punch-up at a wedding. Without the violence.

It's been a while since I posted for which I apologise, but I do have a good reason and it is this: the sight of 550 half-cut librarians dancing wildly to a cheesy Lenny Kravitz cover version takes some recovering from. I was in Perth for a library conference and I've written a professional and responsible version of events here (and some mainly dull photos here), so here are some unprofessional and irresponsible thoughts:
  • Conferences are fun. Me want more.
  • Most of the action takes place away from the setpiece events - chatting, blogging, getting drunk etc
  • It's true - most librarians are middle-aged women in sensible shoes
  • Blogging is the quickest way to meet like-minded & similar aged colleagues, whom you will end up referring to by pseudonyms (ADHD, CW etc)
  • I thought that the big dinner would be awful but I had an absolute blast. I just put away my self-respect hat and cheerfully donned my end-of-a-wedding reception paper crown. Add a couple of bottles of cheap wine - sorted.

Finally, a confession of sorts. If you think I wasn't frugging away merrily to "Are You Gonna Go My Way" then I'm afraid you over-estimate me. The shame!

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

ALIA, OPAC, RFID etc

I'm in Perth at a library conference - much more fun than it sounds. You can follow all the excitement here. Tonight it's the gala dinner - 700 pissed up librarians in a room. Yowsah!

I'll write a proper post about it when I have time.

Up the Gunners!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Nausea

I await tomorrow’s 5th anniversary of 9/11 with some trepidation. It’s not that I particularly fear another attack; it may happen but, even if it does, it would likely kill less people than the daily toll for lack of clean drinking water, HIV/AIDs, climate change or whatever. What I am worried about is the media coverage, which is sure to be insufferable. Self-aggrandising speeches by Bush/Blair/Howard, blithely colluding in a symbiotic relationship with the terrorists, making me want to kick the telly in – I can’t face it. I’ll be watching the football.

More

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Under the influenze

I seem to be veering wildly between illness induced (influenzed?) lethargy and bursts of wild, aimless activity. Either way, I don’t seem to be getting very much done at the moment. Hopefully I’ll perk up in time for my conference in Perth, when I have to pretend to be a proper librarian for a week.

This weekend was ace. I had Friday off so I went up to Avoca with just the ladies in my life. Spending quiet time with M&B was a real treat, and a good precursor to the time we’ll be spending either apart or with other people in the near future. Lot’s to look forward to, but important to concentrate on the necessities too.

This week I have been mainly listening to American indie stuff from the late 80s/early nineties; Galaxie 500, Madder Rose, Pixies etc. Lovely.

You’ve all stopped leaving comments again! Do I need to post another picture of myself with fake bosoms and dive fins? Lowest common denominator, the lot of you.

Whoops there goes another year/
Whoops there goes another pint of beer