It’s been a while since I’ve been meowed at aggressively for no reason.
Adorable lol
It’s a full moon again isn’t it? My cats are all off their rockers tonight.
Gibson was particularly vocal last night.
Democracy Stuff: Again today I heard someone say why bother to vote for candidate X because they just send their preferences to candidate Y. This is completely false. Preferences literally mean the numbers you write on the ballot. 1 is your first preference, 2 is your second, etc. If you want to vote for Greens first and Clive Palmer second, as crazy as that seems, you can absolutely do that. No one can override your preferences. It’s possible that the mistaken belief comes from How-to-vote cards, or from parties forming coalitions or alliances in parliament. If you have any young people, new Australians, or just confused voters in your life circle, please help them out to understand the process. I’m not normally political but with the disaster in America, I realise how privileged it is to have a good voting system. But it’s only good if people know how to participate.
Definitely a few slightly more forceful reasons why people get tripped up by this.
- Group voting tickets were only abolished 4 federal elections ago, and are bizarrely still a thing here in Victoria and Melbourne City Council. So, people’s belief in this is not totally irrational, but likely carried more by lore than facts.
- Many folks look at elections as a chore rather than a precious gift. They would rather remain ignorant about how they work. “Don’t vote for candidate X because they just send their preferences to candidate Y” is more of a meme (in the broad sense of the word) than a well researched political opinion.
- There are people that benefit from stoking uncertainty and confusion about the Australian election process. Many of them are not Australian citizens. Just look at the AEC’s Twitter “Replies” tab. Cookers and Russian agents.
Good points.
“It’s possible that the mistaken belief comes from How-to-vote cards, or from parties forming coalitions or alliances in parliament.”
I’m not sure where this belief comes from either, but I distinctly recall an election campaign many years ago from the Liberal Party, which went along the lines of “A vote for Independents/Greens is a vote for Labor.” It was ran late in the campaign before the election and had a definite impact on the election on that occasion, I just can’t remember exactly when it was. I wondered at the time how it was even legal.
My mother believed it too. I was more than happy to explain how it works simply to her, like you have here. But she was suspicious about anything I said and I could tell she just simply didn’t believe me. People talk about the Murdoch/Sky News/Herald Sun/mainstream news brainwashing nowadays… it really began a long time ago.
This must be frustrating. Politicians will say whatever works to manipulate vulnerable voters. It’s interesting that the ideas can be so long lasting. I don’t believe there’s any law that says a politician can’t make false claims, and the digital age has made it so much easier.
Verily, the John is hoppin’. It’s come out really nicely this time because I didn’t overcook the beans, didn’t use all the bean water, added some tomato paste, and of course the vegan chorizo helped (actually nicer cooked with everything, rather than fried separately and added at the end)
some of this will go in the freezer
Shower and then I’m DONE. So grateful for the dishwasher for preventing a total meltdown.
Thinking I should read another ebook rather than get onto a tv show. I see Richard Powers released a new book last year with good reviews! I need to finish like the last 10% of The Overstory and then maybe I’ll get onto Playground
Queen! You da MVP
ooh that looks good!
That looks great. Enjoy the winds for the next few days.
Air conditioner has been aquired, but I will wait until tomorrow to wrestle it in from the car & plug it in etc. It looks in great nic, has all the bits and has even been stored with a dust cover on. Seller was a nice older guy who is getting rid of stuff in preparation for moving to Japan later this year.
I got my angles all wrong reversing into the driveway when I got home and needed to make multiple attempts before I got in. Fortunately there was no traffic, and everyone in the area is used to watching inept drivers try to master basic parking maneuvers as we are in a license testing area.
Note to self. When plugging in one’s phone to charge up, it helps to turn the charger on. Didn’t notice for hours. Another 20 mins to go before it’s fully cooked.
nom nom, just had a mango ice cream
☠️
That’s awful 😕
Are you the person that’s allergic to mangoes? I’ve never heard of that one before. At least it wouldn’t be too hard to avoid I guess.
Alright I hope to HELL that is the last time I need to go out for uni fieldwork - I’m so over driving to the most soulless and crammed of new outer suburbs in the north and west.
I will say, if I had to pick one, it would be Doreen, but I’m guessing the east side bordering Nillumbik / Yan Yean Rd is up there in price relative to age/distance to amenities, even I have to admit much of it is so beautifully landscaped.
No breakfast and lunch, bought a packet of Indian masala snacks and ate most of it on the way home, super salted/dried out now. I did also finally grab a jar of coconut oil after running out like a month ago - Colesworth just stopped stocking it out of the blue. I’ll have to hope this one’s decent…
Anyway it’s been hot and yucky and I’m pooped. I have to make these black eyed beans I put to soak in the am. Think I’ll be throwing all the aromatics into the food processor and doing a very lazy Hoppin’ John.
I know it was quite a while ago for many of us here, but what, if anything, do you wish your teachers at school knew about you / did to make your educational experience a better one? Or just the school staff in general?
I wish my teachers had given me more advanced work instead of having to sit and listen to people read pages from the novel id read ages ago.
That was always so painful. Enduring extreme boredom was however the most useful skill I learned in school. I suspect I would have been better served by learning to actively work to achieve things instead, but that was generally discouraged.
Same thing at my school.
So it goes.
I think those that relate on a personal level.
I was most fond of the teachers who asked about where you’re at outside the curriculum as well. Those teachers I listened to.
Yup! Favourite teacher ever had previously been a community nurse. Knew full well teenagers will drink, drug, and fuck. Talked about such in a blunt, truthful, non judgemental, and FUN way.
Honestly I’m not sure. If had my share of teachers I liked and didn’t like. Maybe more emphasis on inclusiveness and acceptance of everyone around me though I grew up going through primary school where there was rampant racism and ironically thinking back it were quite a culturally diverse class.
There was a lot of growing up and maturing and self reflection and realisations that I needed to get where I am now or even 10 years ago and more so than anything I wish I could turn back time with the mindset I had after I matured to do school again.
I also went through VCE without having a proper English teacher for half a year or more maybe, all we had were CRTs and wish we didn’t have to go through that in my final year.
I don’t know if anything my teachers or school could have done to make my experience better.
My problems were at home. I excelled at work in school, my natural intelligence, voracious reading habit and willingness to work hard in school hours were the only thing that helped me pass or even excel.
My home life was chaotic and even obstructive, with my parents defying advice given by my teachers regarding what I could be doing academically and career wise.
So maybe a social worker?
I would have been happy if they just stopped trying to make the experience worse.
Could you elaborate on any specifics?
Well, the worst was one who enjoyed failiing people, so would set tests that were really hard to pass. And then he would do things like mark you wrong on things you got right just to make sure you got a fail.
One had a habit of telling you your draft work was great and then failing you on the final copy. She did that to a couple of students I know on a compulsory project for a compulsory VCE subject that meant they had to repeat Year 12. I had her for Year 11 psychology, a subject which was not offered until enough students lobbied for it that they changed the curriculum. Over half that enthusiastic class dropped it after the first semester with her teaching.
Some of it was just general contempt for us as people - like making us stay out in the rain during class breaks because they didn’t want the hassle of declaring it a “wet day” which allowed us to use classrooms on breaks.
Some were just incompetent, like the accounting teacher that could only set work from the book and mark it against a scoring guide but didn’t actually understand the material in the slightest.
The best teachers I had were what I would consider should be the minimum standard - they taught coherently and didn’t seem to actually hate the students.
Work from the book only is just awful. I had an American teacher for 3UnitRelated English who just used Coles Notes. Full stop. We taught ourselves.
Having the same teacher from K-6 is a really bad idea.
Attending a school your parent teaches at is social suicide.
I really wonder what would have happened if the concept of autistic girls had existed then.
My problems were at home, so probably not a lot haha!
My least favourite teacher was a math/PE teacher because he would very obviously favour the jocks/sporty boys and ignore the nerdy boys, and then was super creepy to the pretty girls, and ignored the normal looking girls. He was fired after I graduated for inappropriateness with the girls, go figure.
My favourite teacher was an English/Lit teacher. She was no nonsense, wasn’t afraid to give the class a piece of her mind if we were acting up. She had such a commanding voice, for such a short woman 😂. BUT, if we asked how her adult daughters were, she could go on and on about them. She taught the curriculum wonderfully, provided context for what it meant, and explained what we needed to do for each task/test.
Another favourite teacher was the science/physics teacher. He made every class fun, he was funny and never discriminated against any student for their gender. It was interactive, and he loved showing us concepts with physical objects/chemicals. He was easy to talk to and ask questions, because he never gave off the vibe that he thought we were dumb.
My best ever teacher was incredible. She was single by choice, and dedicated her life to teaching and her church. She kept the areas separate, but her peace from her religion followed her into the school. She taught English, lit and history subjects but her real passion was music. She worked out of hours teaching music, accompanying students to external exams and performances and ran the school musical and music festival. She was tough and took no nonsense, but she was just as quick to give praise. When she looked at you, she saw you. At her funeral last year there were students that she’d taught over her entire working life, and she made all of us feel like we were seen and heard. I was so lucky to have her because she said things to me that I’d never heard in my life. That I was good at something, and she hoped I’d take a particular class next year because she was looking forward seeing my work. I didn’t get that stuff from home.
Sore as heck today. After an extended absence went back to training and really feeling it today.
Old age is not doing me any favour here.
gentle hugs
you can do this
Thank you. It’s manageable if I don’t focus on it.
the fact you train is cool, any ache is worth it. 😘
I’m not quite young anymore and feel unfit and out of shape, at the same time I am always shocked when my fitbit tells me I’m in the top tenth percentile for fitness for my age. wtf, most people my age must be slugs if I’m the fit one
The pain is 100% worth it.
And you keep on going!!
Maybe an epsom salts bath might help, or some pain cream
Gonna do a sauna session shortly. Always helps
Airport trains are the bomb. Beats a taxi in Sydney any day.
Sydney Airport link is great, minus the $15 flat fee that increases during peak times. If I worked at the airport, I would probably take the bus to avoid paying $40 on top of the other Opal charges.
The price hasn’t come through yet (tapped on with phone figuring it would be cheaper then taxi). And 45mins to get across to the north suburbs is pretty good.
Yeah, it’s better than our transport to the airport. Hehe. I think it costs around the same as the skybus.
Fairfield boathouse could do with a proper deep clean and updated food options. It’s such a beautiful location and has so much potential, but it’s run down, sticky, and seems uncared for. A bit of harmonious modernisation while keeping the vintage vibe would work wonders.
Their calamari rocks.
Although they could certainly take a look at Studley Park boathouse down the road in terms of modernising.
Two massive naps today, and I just woke up. That’s what I get for waking up at 3am I suppose.
As soon as it’s a bit warm, bam, my body is like “nah, nap away the day fam”
Siestas
reverse hibernation
Stressed week + relaxed cheese and wine yesterday == tummy ache 😔. And I have a plane to catch. I am counting the days until I get a break at Easter 🐣🐣🐣
gentle hugs for you too
Thanks mate. I know that its actually a good sign - I am on a much more even keel now then a few years ago body and mind. But sometimes I push it all a bit hard and I hate having a sore tummy.
order slowly coming out of chaos
it’s tiring, it can be hard to see progress but it’s very satisfying
plus this is a lovely suburb to live in
also there are no shops or cafes in this suburb, not one , there is a sports club and it is possible to buy a coffee there , that is all
Biria tacos for dinner. Family demolished and there’s still some leftover for lunch tomorrow.
Gonna add those to our regular repertoire.
