Monday 31 December 2012

...to things noted

G'day Possums,

......there's another one almost gone.

My favourite shots from 2012

Giselle rehearsal
Says much, I think, of the ballet and rehearsal mood.

Giselle, Myrtah, Wilis.
This one was the most popular publicly...... to the extent that one couple looking at it on exhibition accurately described to me the scenario in some detail though they hadn't seen a performance before. I felt chuffed at that.

Giselle, Wilis.

Mood of the performance and the Romantic sensibility.

Summation of the year? ... wasn't bad photographically but the moments of bad faith, deception, plain rudeness and selfish bad manners that even Polly-Anna wouldn't countenance appear to be increasing year for year.... or is it that peoples' minds are narrowing?

Next year: another Ballarat International Foto Biennale exhibit... venues booked, forms signedand paid for .... Title: Meditations on RD.   More later......

....and hopefully, soon, some interesting location ballet stuff...generally I hate ballet shots on location so it will be a challenge to make something "other" of it.

..it aint cricket....



Politics or Wombat droppings


Annabel Crabbe, journalist, commentator, blogger and it seems, a terrific cook had a T.V. program called “Kitchen Cabinet” where she would visit politicians in their homes; they would cook lunch (she supplied dessert) and converse about aspects of the pollies life and work.

The programs’ real interest lay not so much in the conversations but the subtext messages radiated by the pollies.

Often this year I have commented on the appallingly poor behaviour emanating mostly from the conservative side of politics. Sophie “Pit-Bull” Mirabella, Kellie “ Shaddupa-ya Face” O’Dwyer, Tony “Rabbit” Abbot most readily coming to mind but Crabbe’s program shone a whole new light on some of those who would like to rule us.

It was the meal with Christopher “the Whyne” Pyne.  (He who fibbed, no lied about his initial involvement with “Slippery Pete’s” disgraced accuser’, Ashby)

Apparently Pyne can’t cook so he changed the venue to his old mate Amanda Vanstone’s home because she can.

(Psstt….Joe Hockey couldn’t cook either but that didn’t stop him attempting a BBQ, Chrissie.)

It was as if on one hand Pyne wanted to control the setting and on the other promote Vanstone again to the public (remember Mandy? Used to ship Australian’s offshore, not just asylum seekers) whilst diffusing Crabbe’s scrutiny of him.

It struck me just how little Pyne involved himself in the proceedings and how off-hand both were to Crabbe, too.

Crabbe had brought flowers as a token for Vanstone who noted them but offered no thanks (well, we didn’t see it on camera) and Vanstone then just left them on the kitchen bench until eventually she became aware the camera-man was “making a meal” of her lack of manners by shooting the scene with them in close-up at base of shot.

They disappeared but we never did find out if they got to a vase and water.

Although not as fiercely guarded as Bronwyn “Pompadour” Bishop during her meal/interview, there was still a palpable sense throughout of “we-can’t-wait-for-this-to-be-over” and I felt a real sense of “I-just-wish-this-person-would-go-away”, with Vanstone making most of the running and Pyne saying little.

You would think that if you felt it below your dignity to appear on these sorts of programs, you’d just say, “No thanks” and not appear; but if you do, you should at least appear to be polite!

I can only contrast this with the interviews Crabbe had with Penny Wong and Tanya Plibersek from Labor.

Both were impressive in their openness and engaging behaviour and presented themselves as highly intelligent and committed women; the exact opposite of what I saw from the conservatives.  Have a look and judge for yourself….   http://www.abc.net.au/tv/kitchencabinet/


....all honking away...
 Then there was Chris Uhlmann, spouting, no, spitting lines verbatim, spruiked from the Abbott’s and Hockey’s Liarbril script at Penny Wong about the lack of a surplus…. The ABC’s “7:30” has, under Sales and Uhlmann, become as relevant to current affairs as “Play School” is to quantum physics.  Balanced, thoughtful journalism? Nah, tabloid crap.

Are the producers of this program are plotting its demise?

arrest.. Paris, St Martin Canal...
 All of which segues into “Coot–With-Queer-Ideas” from the Institute of Pubic "Affaire's", Chris Berg, who bewailing that he thought that there was no talk on policy this year only muck raking: “This Mindless Pursuit of Scandal…..” (The Age 30-12-12) whilst doing his best to spend 95% of the article raking well over the muck, leaving policy to get a mention “en passant”… a typical, loony-right conflation propaganda technique, conveniently tarring the Government who actually did implement policy, with the same brush as the Liarbrils (the side that he most keenly supports) who are drowning in their “tactique-merde” have no policy to discuss. And the little bit of policy he mentioned ?…Well, it was mentioned.
He’s a queer coot who appears not able to discriminate between free-speech, truth and propaganda.

The Wombats’ look forward to more of IPA’s hysterical rantings on 774 this year… as they provide insight into what appear to be the foetid, amoral minds misting through our land at present.

Barren, deserted and the wide blue yonder....


Speaking of which, John Singleton (mate of Gina “our Biggest Miner” Reinhardt) has, like his mate bought into Fairfax press. As an old “Ad-man”, when he talks about the integrity of reporting and journalistic standards you know he knows exactly what he’s talking about: ‘cause he spent years doing the opposite! 

Can we expect further interesting editorial “lurches to the right” from Fairfax?  



In the “State of Tardis” (where all goes backward) Police Minister (I-know-Nuffin) Ryan extols the good behaviour of our partying youth, which is a signal indicating that again, the opposite is probably true and that the “Tardis State” has nothing of real value to say....particularly about "Overlandgate" and "Frankstongate".



“Big Bird” Baillieu, (Silvertail Incompetens) is keeping everything “commercial-in-confidence”, particularly the deal with Myki who now make a profit from Victorian public transport users. Sniff, Sniff?

future




I’ve got a feeling Petals, that this is going to be a loooong year.

Cheers,
Shane

Thursday 27 December 2012

..to Dec.. the place

Hello Possums,

bling-time...... 

Shane w/ Xmas Bling


Bling in Ballan

bling across road

bling in tree

bling in store

bling in window

bling in air


bling hanging

foam rubber bling on counter

bling on head

faded bling on tree

suuspended bling in cardboard


.....and I hope too that the AFP have a nice gift for Mal Brough et al.

Cheers
Shane

Tuesday 18 December 2012

... to a Buon Natale


Buon Natale

Xmas gifts

 The small town of Ballan used to have an independent Butcher’s shop but the supermarket grew and it closed down.

Then about 18 months ago Salvatore and Trish opened up their Regional Butchers’ Shop.

They participated in the Ballan Festival earlier this year (see “The Arts in Ballan” entry) and the business seems to have gone from strength to strength with Salvatore recently even winning prizes for his sausages in a butchers’ competition.

On Saturday night last, Salvatore and Trish invited their customers to a Bar-B-Q as a thank you for their patronage.

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
The shop, Inglis St, Ballan
Preparation,  Salvatore and Trish



Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder



Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
This space, next to the butchers will soon be a deli that Trish is opening


Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Locals from the Ballan Football Club.

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
It was a perfect early Summer's night for dining outside
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder


Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
...and a good way to meet others


Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
abundant food
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
for all tastes...

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder


Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Hello...
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Robbie's Mum.. ( I think)

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
and a littlie with her Dad

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Salvatore and the delectable spit-roast

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
A barmy night.

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Da Boyz...

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Da Boyz2 ...
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder


Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Trish..

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Yep....
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
and sometimes the servings were a bit daunting
Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder
Robbie

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder

Ballan Butcher Xmas barbeque Lawrence Winder

Thanks Salvatore and Trish, it was simply, a brilliant night.
We met people and made friends and it was an act of generosity that has made this little town closer, friendlier and more human, more livable village.
Buon Natale.




Politics:

And just when you thought it safe to go back in the water…. 

Cory (Bestiality) Bernardi (Liarbril, South Aussie)  has teamed up with  Professor David (I-Want-a-Queen) Flint to promote another group of ultra-right-wing loopies to replicate the American’s loopy “Tea-Party”.
I imagine that together, they want to reproduce American gun laws, too!
A fruitful meeting of mindlessness?

It turns out that Tony (the Rabbit) Abbott (Liarbril wannabe PM) says he hasn’t read the judges' court ruling on the “Slippery Pete Affaire” and specifically the damning comments that were made about Mal (What’s –a-Lie?) Brough, (Queensland  pre-selected Liarbril.... jeez they can breed-em up there, can’t they?) but as “the Rabbit” has already said that  you can’t trust anything coming out of his mouth…… I reckon he’s read it ….or at least had it decoded  and is doing what the conservatives do best… obfuscate, deny, point-the-other-way and generally treat the issue as if it’s of supreme unimportance.
Except he is being hoisted on his own Petard of “Tell-us what-you-know-or-you’ve-got-something-to-hide” type attack. 
 
Another point is… as they (Liarbrils) have no policy, perhaps he genuinely has nothing to say!

“Prognostications” might be coming to pass.

We received in the (“Tardis State”, where all goes backwards) burrow this week, two pieces of interesting mail. 
One was a political postcard castigating  PM Gillard and local member Catherine King  for allegedly ripping money out of the health system.
It was authorised by a D. Mantach in Melbourne.
For pure venom and lack of substance it was also, pure Liarbril.
We returned this “Hate-Mail” to sender; being made aware a-priori, how vicious this next Federal campaign is going to be…and wondered why “Big Bird” Baillieu (Genus: Silvertail Incompetens) is still blaming every-one else for his own crews’  continued incompetence?
And giving an alert to look further than the "spin" on this issue!

Next piece of mail was from our Energy Supplier.
It was about the January price increases….. it must be getting close to the time to start marching in the streets.
Thanks, “Big Bird” for effectively closing down the wind energy farms in the “Tardis State” and allowing the Brown Coal industry its polluting monopoly.
What foresight, what imagination, what a Liarbral hero!

And a big Xmas “Thank-You” to Jeff (Bully-Boy) Kennett, failed ex premier (the Dorian Gray of Tardis State politics) for privatising our electricity system in the first place and making the complete shambles of it that we are now experiencing!

cheers,
Shane.