Category: Bio

Where to invade next
by Kimliatach

‘Where to invade next‘ is great fun, a tremendous film. Clearly I am not the target audience, being neither american nor ignorant about the success of socialist humanitarian policies in Europe. But I sincerely hope it gains a large audience in Moore’s homeland America as if nothing else this film underscores how far behind and seemingly barbaric many American social policies are.  It glosses over all of the latent problems and social problems in the countries Moore visits of course. But there is a very limited length of time given to each and many topics to cover. Michael Moore has clearly aged hard in the past decade, he now has a shuffling gate and the wrinkled and jowly appearance of a bitter old frog. His humour is still fierce and well targeted and there are number of quite poignant moments in this documentary. Highly recommended.

Daily

A working tour of the school. I spent an hour or so each in four different classrooms within the local public today. Hopeful of some random call ins over coming days.

I’m very happy to have another place of employment available to me even though our departure date is creeping up on us.

Creative

Completed the first evolution sketch card in a week or two last night. Thinking I will revisit the castle or do another evolution card tonight.

ValleyEvo22Humanoid DRAFT SKETCH

 

Links & Bio

Super cool junk birds and insects by artist Edouard Martinet, who uses no welds or soldering in his works. via Colossal 1 & 2

martinet-5

martinet-7

 

Simply incredible macro insect photography by Levon Biss in conjunction with the Oxford Museum of Natural History. Also Via Colossal.

LevonBiss_07

If only…

Anyway two of my captive caterpillars are undergoing metamorphosis. A third I found the other day has just today developed some small but unhealthy looking black spots and may be about to undergo some awesome alienesque wasp larvae chest busting.

Red dirt country
by Kimliatach

A walk to see first nation rock art with family and a little woodwork today. Collected another piece of the paperwork puzzle required for transferring a car registration from QLD to NSW this morning which involved the use of a surprisingly old mechanism.

Some painting yet in store this evening.

Interesting read about the failure of our present government to do well… much of anything.

No Surprises.

There is no future in deregulated capitalism.

 

Welding
by Kimliatach

Made my first weld today. In addition to much more grinding, screwing and other laborious activities that can be mistaken for innuendo.

We paved the final stretches of the paths I dug out while the earth was soft last week and began locking the paving edges in place with mud. Final touches, including the wheel braces being welded with help from my brother in-law are going on the chook tractor. Tomorrow we expect to purchase some tenants to occupy it!

Total build photo log incoming just as soon as I can find a program other than iTunes that will let me get my photos off my iphone.

First ever #weld. Much harder than some make it look. #make

A photo posted by @liatach on


 

A long day in the sun has left me wrecked so I’m taking the night off from all work beyond the end of this post.

 

 

Paths a Paving
by Kimliatach

Covered a significant portion of the yard in bricks today.

Once begun there was no stopping until paths were connected, lest there will be furious infant traffic jams. I ran a path parallel to the first. Circled a garden bed tank and curved to join the other path. A couple of other tangents dug and prepped but not completed today.

Fortunately I kicked the cold, N was not so lucky.

 

Found all sorts of interesting creatures among the now diminishing brick piles.

More of the uncooperative 5 legged #beetle. #coleoptera #macro #insect

A photo posted by @liatach on

More #gecko. Forgot to mention approx 75mm. #lizard #macro #reptile #reptiles

A photo posted by @liatach on

Watched this while looking for good animal videos to entertain F momentarily. The Blue whale is always a very impressive creature, the animated rendition of the previous extinction events is excellent and worth watching too.

 

Creative

Work preparations to complete and then time for some painting.

Very excited to receive a ‘secret series’ of downloadable tutorials today just for being an existing customer of CtrlPaint.com

Bad politics
by Kimliatach

Finding myself infuriated by the actions of the Federal ALP today. Following their pattern over the last couple of months, ever since it was revealed a number of wet Labor strongholds are now under direct threat from the Greens the ALP have been on the attack and spreading deliberate and disingenuous misinformation about the Greens. Culminating this week in an attempt to derail senate voting reform by suggesting the senate talk, not vote, about gay marriage. Then accusing the Greens of voting against marriage equality all over social media when they sided with government to continue working on the sorely needed senate voting reform. Only today to chicken out of actually voting for marriage equality when given the opportunity.

Such pathetic pollies this batch.

In the US Sanders took a beating on Tuesday and it is now hard to remain hopeful. There remains a chance and given I think it is either him or Trump as the next president I’m going to cling to that hope. I genuinely believe Hillary has no chance against Trump. He will wipe the floor with her like Reagan did to carter in 1980.

Apart from the fact that she may be about to be indicted, apart from the fact that her campaign has again been characterised by blatant lying, amnesia and manipulation. Apart from the fact that she characterised the Iraq war as a business opportunity. She hasn’t got what both Sanders and Trump have, outsider status and unfortunate and scary as it is some Sanders supporters are apparently considering Trump preferable to Clinton if Sanders is eliminated.

Creative

Only just now sitting down to create some more sketch print drafts of evolution cards. With a helping of Mr.Robot on the other monitor.

 

 

NSW Registration
by Kimliatach

Finally!

 

I am now permitted to work in NSW public schools. I still have to undergo a suitability interview but interim approval has been granted for a period of six months.

It has been a long wait. I have a lot of work lined up at the local Catholic school over the next three weeks but I am hoping to begin picking up more in the public primary and high schools as time goes on.

An altogether exhausting day. Started at five thirty this morning meeting a butcher delivery truck on his pass through town to collect some lamb the in laws had butchered. A long day in class with double wet lunches and an intense tutoring session have left me wrecked. Lunch is packed ironing done for the morning, I am not long for bed with no meaningful creative output completed today.

 

More of that lovely #moth from last night. #lepidoptera #macro #insect

A photo posted by @liatach on

Tuesday 15th
by Kimliatach

Media

Started watching ‘Dirty Wars‘ while painting during nap time today. Infuriating stuff.

Finally got around to starting ‘Mr.Robot‘ last night. Widely recommended to us months ago. Two episodes in and loving on Christian Slater channeling Tyler Durden. Made easier no doubt, by the fact that there was a time when I thought he was one of the coolest men on earth. Looking forward to slamming another few episodes this evening.

I’ve been listening to ‘The Consolations of Philosophy‘ for a couple of hours now. Loving it and find excuses to snatch minutes here and there.

Creative

A pair of sketch drafts completed during nap time, though one was a redo of previously completed sketch. At fourteen of fourty-four as of now. Sharing the two cards I made a couple of weeks ago as I can now be sure they are safely with their recipients. Both are single layer papercut and ink on card.

J-card

Vale-card-2

 

More insects…

Small #moth on my keyboard. Approx 10mm. #macro #insect #lepidoptera

A photo posted by @liatach on

 

And an Amazing gallery of work by Sergey Kolesov. Includes a number of pieces of his I have not seen before.

Cool Day
by Kimliatach

The first overcast and genuinely cool day so far this year.

Still went swimming for L’s lesson, had F with me too so no laps, but lots of fun. Accomplished a bit of wiring and preparation for welding in the yard. An interesting two hours tutoring.

A local authority called hoping to hire me, then gave the State education office’s application department a bollocking on my behalf. Hopefully my NSW registration will be forthcoming soon.

Working on sketches and I may even be ready to have another pass at the castle card while binging TV with N on the other monitor this evening.

Lovely find this morning. I think being Arts teacher for a whole school would be heaven.

Also this fun thing:

 

 

#coloring continued. #colouring #shauntan

A photo posted by @liatach on

 

Thursday 10th
by Kimliatach

Daily

Last minute relief call in to take a kindergarten class at 9 AM this morning, caught  me off guard and without a packed go bag, disappointing canteen lunch and a begged antihistamine from a colleague got me through the day. Host teacher has a cat. As evidenced by dander all over her laptop keyboard, which was not noticed until too late, thank goodness for cheap and ubiquitous antihistamines. School saved me from another day spraying in the fields, left me shattered all the same.

Creative

Spent last night exporting print quality copies of all cards completed so far. Tonight I am sparring myself another evenings work on the castle card and instead beginning putting all the titles and feature texts into the evolution card templates in readiness for the larger thumbnails I will create for them over the coming week or two.

 

My insect Insta photos have started attracting more attention. I’d probably have significantly more followers if I didn’t habitually block bots and follow spammers.

#Live #orbweaver #spider on her Web. Approx 45mm in the body. #macro #araneae

A photo posted by @liatach on

 

#cicada wing found in the dust. Image is approximately 5mm. #insect #macro #hermiptera

A photo posted by @liatach on

Dececed #rat forepaw. #macro

A photo posted by @liatach on

Almost forgot a link. Wait but Why has a new and informative take on the ‘Monty Hall Problem‘ up.

Hey Big Spender
by Kimliatach

Daily

A couple of big purchases today. Having searched far and wide over the past week, comparing many, many systems I have chosen this computer with the memory bumped up to 24gig. While I was at it I found a decent looking multiport usb charging and connection hub. For sanity and self preservation I must now avoid looking at computer advertisements or sales for a period not less than six months, preferably a year. I have absolutely gotten the best I could afford, in the end it came down to a choice between the MSI and a custom build from this company. Both were of very similar specs, ultimately I opted for the established brand over the custom architecture.

Now begins the tense anticipatory wait for delivery.

I also bit the bullet and purchased this legal contract for the formalisation of my agreement with Half Monster Games. The agreement is likely to be useful for multiple projects so it is an investment in future income.

And to cap off the ludicrous spending spree I ebay’d some swimming goggles after swimming 550m breaststroke today. In addition to my standard 75 kettlebell swing workout.

Creative

Small progress on the castle card today. I’m feeling a bit anxious to finish some projects, chicken tractor, paving and a few partial cards are all weighing me down being so close yet so far from done.

This evening I have delved into the legalise, enough to know I won’t finish that tonight. I’m now trying to get some more painting done. To help give you a picture of what I am working towards Jack has been doing some play testing in tabletop simulator and has produced an example layout of the terrain cards using the limited number I have so far completed. The terrain deck will, with shuffling create a new playing surface each game. The evolution or ability deck will add spice to the gameplay.

 

 

More bugs

 

Pill #millipede #macro #arthropod approx 15mm

A photo posted by @liatach on

More Pill #millipede #arthropod #macro

A photo posted by @liatach on

Unknown #moth #lepidoptera #insect #macro approx 40mm

A photo posted by @liatach on