Archives for September 2006

New toy

September 29, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

I’m typing this in my kitchen on my new laptop. I’m not wirelessed up to the internet like I would like to be, but maybe one day.

But it’s a big step up from a Windows 98, Pentium III, 850Mhz, 256Mb RAM, 14Gb hard drive desktop machine in my spare room. My new toy has a dual core processor, 120Gb hard drive, bluetooth (don’t know what that does but it sounds good), wireless networking, and heaps more portability and Windows XP Professional.

Wooo hooo. And to top it off, JJ and I don’t have to go to school and work respectively for about two weeks.

The hardest job I ever had, by far

September 27, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

Some people go home to escape from work. At the moment, I’m going to work to escape being home. More specifically having to deal with the misbehaviour of my son. He’s being a real ratbag both at school and at after school care.

I’m not burying my head in the sand, as much as I want to, but talking to relevant carers/teachers to try and sort out his behavioural problems.

My eyes are a bit puffy today from a frustrated teary session last night and I’m taking lots of deep breaths and saying the mantra, ‘alcohol will not solve this problem’.

The Vivisector – chapters 6, 7 and I’ve barely begun 8

September 25, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

Read my first and second posts in regards to The Vivisector.

Bloody hell it’s been a hard slog getting through these chapters this week and I’m still nowhere near the end of chapter 8.

Normally I can read a book in quite a short time, even a long one like this but because it doesn’t flow too well for me I’m having a bit of a hard time. Not being one to give up too easily I’m getting through it, but I must admit towards the end of chapter 6 I did read quite quickly through it as I was just so sick of it being so long. This time with my reading I’m making some small notes as I go because otherwise I would forget what I want to say, so here’s my thoughts on the three chapters, well two and a bit.

I know it takes a while for things to sink in sometimes but it wasn’t until I got stuck into chapter 6 that I realised girls and women feature a heck of a lot compared to men. The men, apart from Hurtle of course, are really minor characters in the book. The two chapters, I have read so far, that really only feature men are the two ‘show the passage of time’ chapters, ie with the grocer in chapter 5 and Mothersole in chapter 7. I got a real feel of how Mothersole regretted giving Hurtle his card, ‘The two men looked at each other, and smiled as each realized he would probably never meet the other again except in nightmares or moments of sentimental weakness.’ (p. 421).

Chapter 7 also informs us what happened to Hero and for the first time since Hurtle was 6 years old we are told his age – 55. I suspect from the spoilers I’ve read that this is necessary for the reading of chapter 8 when he hooks up with Kathy so that we definitely know the huge age difference between them.

Stepping back to the beginning of chapter 6, there’s this: ‘As there was so much he had to paint, the fantasies he was amused to indulge in came no closer to actuality than masturbation to fulfilled love.’ (p. 277). Despite the heavy going of this book for me sometimes, sentences like this jump out at me because they so aptly describe a situation. Quite often we feel there’s so much to do we can’t possibly do it all.

Another observation White makes on p. 285 when Hurtle’s at a party hosted by Olivia Davenport and some of the guests are meeting him for the first time and Mrs Halliday didn’t quite catch his name. When it is repeated for her she says, ‘Oh. Ohhh? Neoh! Not the artist – the painter? Duf-field?’ The way she pronounces ‘Neoh’ and emphasises Duffield reminds me of Prue and Trude in Kath and Kim and their snobbish way of talking and looking at the world. I suspect Mrs Halliday is a snob and we leave her fishing for her compact.

I don’t feel able to comment on the rest of chapter 6 and Hero. Others have more than adequately done that.

Thanking the people who don’t get thanked enough

September 22, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

I regularly watch an excellent show called RocKwiz that’s on SBS on Saturday nights. If I’m out I try to remember to tape it but sometimes forget. I love it for a variety of reasons.

It’s filmed at the iconic Esplanade Hotel or the Espy in Melbourne. I’ve been there a few times myself to see bands on the occasions I’ve been in Melbourne and it is an institution not just for Melbournites. So I think because it’s filmed there it’s instantly a lot more informal than if it were filmed at a television studio. Plus I guess the audience can drink there so it’s instantly more like a quiz night than a light music entertainment show.

The host, Julia Zemiro is just fantastic. She’s funny, quick off the mark, intelligent and if I met her in person I’d probably just dribble and stutter instead of saying anything meaningful.

The Kwiz master Brian Nankervis I reckon has very similar taste in music to me as much of the music the questions are about music I really like – more alternative than mainstream that is.

The band are excellent. For a 45 minute show they have to know three songs and a wealth of bits and pieces throughout for the Million Dollar Riff segment etc.

And the Kwiz contestants are great – see I just can’t fault anything. Four of the contestants come from the audience and have to go through a minor audition type process. Some of them work really well and know some really obscure stuff, and Julia works with them really well too. The other two contestants are musicians who come out by themself after a Kwiz Who Am I question, sing a song, then play the Kwiz and at the end join up with the other musician for a duet. I cried recently when Archie Roach and Sara Storer sang Paul Kelly’s song ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ as they did it so beautifully.

If I lived in Melbourne I’d go along for sure. But that’s not what this is about. The credits are rolled during the duet at the end and as I’ll read absolutely anything I read the credits. Part of the credits thank the babysitters for looking after the offspring and they name the babysitters.

It got me to thinking that babysitters just aren’t usually recognised for the fantastic job they do. Most parents rely on someone or a group of someones to look after their offspring so they can go out and work or play. If these babysitters do it out of love then they should get even more kudos and they’re the ones I especially want to thank.

As a sole parent with no other adult in the house to mind JJ for me while I go out I have to rely on paid and unpaid babysitting help. I’m quite fortunate in having a wide group of friends, most of them with offspring of their own who will take mine for a little while, or for the night so I can go out and have adult time. I do return babysitting favours so it does work out two ways and with a couple of people it’s very one way, that is they’ve had JJ more than I’ve had theirs but I guess I’m on standby both to offer and to be asked.

So, to RocKwiz for a great show and for the fact they thank the babysitters of their crew, and to my babysitters, a big thank you.

The painting has been finished

September 19, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

The paint smell is almost gone and it’s come up a treat. I’ve still got to sort out the items I moved before painting began and I’m going to take the opportunity to cull some of my belongings. Some books I’ve had for years that I will never read again will be going. That’s a big step for me.

So the house has gone from daggy, "let’s quickly paint before we sell and not worry about preparation" to a really well-prepared and thorough painting. So from the picture above to the one below. Click on either photo for the full before and after.

The ‘after’ image colour is a bit out of whack. I tried correcting it to no avail. The colour in the foreground is more indicative of what it actually looks like, ie apricot rather than orange. I was a bit worried it is a bit 80s but I’m warming to it more as the paint smell dies off.

Cheap marketing ploy

September 18, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

I received an email yesterday with an offer of free stuff if I post an honest review on my website. I’ve copied it here, without any product or name information:

"Dear Blogger,
I’m writing to you from *******, a relationship marketing
agency that’s working with the makers of ***** to promote the
launch of their new *******.

Get Free *******!
We would love to send you free samples of new *******.
Why? Because we recognize that others value your opinions, and that you take the time to share your insights.

What’s the catch? There is none. All we ask is that you post an honest review on your blog.

Of course, we hope that you like the product, but we’re most interested
in your opinion. And we would appreciate a link to your review after
you have posted it online.

Be Among the First to Try *********!
Reply to this email with your mailing address, and we’ll send your free
samples in four to six weeks. In the meantime, you can check out our website to learn more.

We look forward to sending you ******. Give it a
try and even share ***** with friends and family. Then please
post your review, and let us–****** everywhere–know what
you think.

Best regards,
********"

Yeah right. If I’m going to do word of mouth marketing I’ll do it without bribes. Now, if they were giving away laptops…….

The Vivisector – chapters 4 and 5

September 13, 2006 by Jen at Semantically driven

After quite enjoying chapters 1 and 2 I got a bit bored as Hurtle got older and the narrative shifted from second to third person.

I still like the way things are described in the book but I found myself re-reading some bits now knowing what the heck was going on. I lost the plot in chapter’s 3 and 4 as he travelled through Europe then completely disconnected from the Courtneys. I need to reread to understand it better but am hesitant to subject myself to it.

By the end of chapter 4 Hurtle is well and truly grown up and I’m not really sure how old he is. Old enough to have been a painter for long enough to gain some recognition and enough money to indulge in some things.

Hurtle seems quite self-obsessed. All the same he has people that love him, Nance and the art dealer, even though he is quite distant from them both physically and emotionally.

And chapter 5, it took me a while to figure out who was masturbating was it Hurtle or the grocer? That came out of left field.

I am taking a bit of a break to read some more Australiana in ‘Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life’ by Maureen McCarthy and will reopen The Vivisector very soon. I needed a small break but am looking forward to new chapters opening in his life.