Kindergarten today. Nothing makes children go completely bananas like windy weather and we had wind and rain in abundance today.
Politic
Continuing from yesterday’s topic. The ludicrous behavior in the senate reached new heights overnight with federal Labor staging a 30+ hour filibuster in attempt to block senate voting reform which has in the end passed anyway. I am a fan of this particular change and I approve it on the basis of expert advice. Preference deals are just one of the shady elements in our Federal politic and removing them for good benefit our democracy even if the consequence in the short term is a LNP majority in both houses. I can’t believe I just wrote that. Nothing good will ever come of the LNP getting a double majority ever again. The very idea is terrifying. The forthcoming election, likely to occur while we are in Scotland, if the PM uses his DD triggers, will be hard fought but presently still looks likely to be won by the buffoons in power at the moment despite their glaring ineptitude and malignance. For now I’m praying that the ALP have hired some competent PR this time around. Their behaviour this week doesn’t lend credence to the idea unfortunately.
Creative
Only managed a sketch an half last night and I’ll be lucky to get that half done tonight. It has been a long and exhausting week.
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.
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.
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 wasoneofthecoolestmenonearth. 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.
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.
On the basis of a challenge by my extraordinary cook book, I bought and butchered a whole hen on Friday.
The free range chooks were on special for $10 each at our local rather expensive supermarket. Butchering is interesting from a biological perspective but also to see the assembly of the parts we so often buy separately. I was so surprised by how much meat we got for that price that today I bought and butchered an additional two. All my adult life I have been paying $10+ for a pair of chicken breasts or a punnet of six thighs. Getting two of everything plus an amazing homemade stock for the same price is a bit of a revelation. Of course we have bought roasting hens pretty often but actually cutting into sections by hand I had never even considered before. If like me you are not squeamish it is well worth a try. Just be very conscious of hygiene and keep your blades sharp.
Tonight we used the thighs from today’s hens and the stock from Friday’s to make a yummy dinner porridge.
Daily
We got to meet our newest nephew by N’s little brother. Fresh home from Dubbo hospital yesterday. He’s a cute squishy thing.
A trip to the tip this morning yielded maybe $300 worth of timber and if I can borrow a ute in the next day or two I am going back for some very nice sheets of marine ply. They are too large for my car. Material for three projects secured.
Creative
Another two sketch evolution cards completed. I plan to do a gallery post once all the sketches are completed. Only another 33 to go. A bit of clerical work to complete tonight, possibly another sketch card as well.
I think the way we do sex education in Australia needs a fundamental overhaul
For starters it is done too late. It is not uncommon for students to not have covered this area at school prior to high school biology. Which is long after most children will have begun forming completely erroneous connections about sex, particularly so in the age of internet porn. Ideally a number of fundamentals should have been covered well and truly prior to the embarrassment of puberty setting in. Girls should not be being shocked and frightened by their first periods. Boys need some lessons in hygiene and safety. Safety, both personal and public is the fundamental basis of this idea.
All children need to be explicitly taught what consent means, how it can be offered, when it can be taken away and what the responsibilities of each party is at every step of the way.
All children need to be made aware that ‘normal’ encompasses a huge and divergent variety of body types, relationships, attractions and desires.
All children need to be taught something of the nature of what is taboo in our culture and why. They should not be learning that bestiality is wrong from South Park first. See also ‘Consent’, again.
I am very grateful that I underwent puberty prior to ubiquitous smartphone ownership. The trauma and embarrassment was quite sufficient without preserving it forever in digital archives. Sex ed for me was high school biology and a little health. It was dull, embarrassing and pretty forgettable. I have seen only a few examples of any human biology and reproduction taught in my time as a teacher and I have explicitly delivered no such content. It has not been in my curriculum, I have argued for its inclusion a number of times, particularly when working with older grades but I have not won those arguments. I have read parts of the forthcoming ACARAhealth curriculum and I am pleased to see sex ed included from middle primary onwards. But I do seriously question how many schools will implement that particular curriculum, let alone allocate class time and teach it in the memorable and interesting way it deserves.
I think that many teachers are afraid that the public is more puritanical than they actually are, or that there are a few particularly vocal and zealous parents who will make trouble for them and the faculty if this content is introduced in primary schools.
Arming our children with the knowledge to experiment safety when they are old enough is to my mind far better than sending our children into puberty unarmored. If done well in time organisations like Safe Schools wouldn’t even be necessary and we might even put a dint in the frighteningly high rate of teen suicide in this country.
An example of Sex Ed done right. This is delivered for 8 year olds.
Daily
Swimming, painting, eating Ice Cream talking to friends on the phone. A good day with yet more painting to do.
It did get weird. For the longest time I really wasn’t into it. None of the characters were really interesting me and I was really struggling to care, then about a third of the way in things as I say got delightfully strange and I slammed through the rest in short order. I plan to recommend it to a friend with a more hard science background to see what she makes of it. There are some very big and uncomfortable ideas played with and as with anything that starts talking about interdimensionality wrapping my poor monkey brain around it was at times challenging. The storytelling had a different pace than I am used to and by the end at least a couple of the characters were sympathetic and emotionally interesting.
On the subject of interdimensionality Miegakure a 4D computer game is on its way ‘soon’
Creative
I’ve spent the past day taking the draft text and titles of all 44 evolution cards into the printable card template made a few weeks back. I’ve also begun sketching higher quality thumbnail placeholder art for all 40 incomplete cards in readiness for a draft print run which will be test played at an upcoming board game convention.
‘Sanjay’s Super Team’ the short from before The Good Dinosaur -which we have not yet seen- is adorable. Unfortunately this is the only complete streaming version I was able to find kind of potato quality I’m afraid.
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.
‘The Big Short’ is entertaining, the script is fantastic and the acting is superb.
Christian Bale in particular can emote and adopt mannerisms with amazing attention to detail. In this he plays an ASD doctor of economics. Carell demonstrates his chops in a role not built on punchlines and bring endearing fury to his portrayal. Pitt is old man Pitt and Gosling is a douche but an engaging one.
The topic however, is not ok. If you don’t leave this film furious you weren’t paying attention. No matter how likable they work to make their protagonists the association with the great fuckup that was the GFC tarnishes them all. The seeming inevitability of an encore global financial meltdown within the next decade certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the viewer.
And of course it fails Bechdel pretty spectacularly, all the women in this film are props. Some are and articulate and realised characters but they only converse with men or the camera.
Daily
Spent the day spraying woody weed regrowth on the farm with a backpack spray bottle. The job would be insufferably boring without a good audiobook. With it, it is merely very unpleasant work. The chemical being used is nasty but far from the worst on the market and we are taking appropriate safety precautions. Woody regrowth is a major economic risk to the farm because if the turpentine scrub is able to establish itself grazing ground cover all but disappears and because of land clearing legislation the woody weeds cannot be removed. It is very hot, very dull, backbreaking work made even more tedious by the cleanup which involves rinsing, filling and emptying by spray each backpack three times at the conclusion of work.
I was grateful to have a reason to stop, shower and go tutoring.
Creative
Nothing so far today and I am not long from bead but I have some work to do before then. I did make a fair bit of progress on the background of the castle card last night.
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