Exhibit local culture at The Roxy
Leeton’s iconic Roxy is many things to many people
As one of dozens who have exhibited in that venue it seems important this activity is promoted as part of future development.
Between 2012 and 2013 over a thousand people attended exhibitions in the Roxy Artspace based on figures collected by Western Riverina Arts (WRA).
Regional Arts Development Officer Dr Greg Pritchard revealed many of the talents in our region and they were literally put under spotlights thanks to funds secured to develop that exhibition space.
The Roxy is the only public facility in Leeton Shire with quality lighting for exhibitions and neutral-coloured walls.
In 2014 WRA supported a visit to the Artspace by Parkview Primary students and a number of that Year Five art class said they had never visited an art exhibition previously.
Many studies have found benefits for students who are able to attend exhibitions.
I am certain that I am not the only person who enjoyed the opportunity to see exhibitions in the Roxy and hope to see more.
Let me add how much I’ve enjoyed the displays on local history, for example.
While I am a member of the Leeton Art Society and the Western Riverina Arts Board, the views expressed here are my own.
I believe it is important for Leeton Shire to retain a visible presence for local culture.
Between 2012 and 2013 over a thousand people attended exhibitions in the Roxy Artspace based on figures collected by Western Riverina Arts (WRA).
Regional Arts Development Officer Dr Greg Pritchard revealed many of the talents in our region and they were literally put under spotlights thanks to funds secured to develop that exhibition space.
The Roxy is the only public facility in Leeton Shire with quality lighting for exhibitions and neutral-coloured walls.
In 2014 WRA supported a visit to the Artspace by Parkview Primary students and a number of that Year Five art class said they had never visited an art exhibition previously.
Many studies have found benefits for students who are able to attend exhibitions.
I am certain that I am not the only person who enjoyed the opportunity to see exhibitions in the Roxy and hope to see more.
Let me add how much I’ve enjoyed the displays on local history, for example.
While I am a member of the Leeton Art Society and the Western Riverina Arts Board, the views expressed here are my own.
I believe it is important for Leeton Shire to retain a visible presence for local culture.
Pun from my son
Oscar asked to bottle the stout
As he was tipping the fermenter forward to get the last of it, I asked him to be wary of slime at the bottom and he replied with a pun: "I'll see those in gradients"!
Wild At Heart
I remembered an idea to use lines from the film in a song and added them to lyrics about how I met my partner, Jo:
Thinking back to when we met
years ago but I can’t forget
a staring woman, I couldn’t ignore her
you later told me you could see my aura
After that I kept seeing you in town
seemed like you were always around
you then confessed it was engineering
inventing ways so that you could be near me
It wasn’t easy but you persisted
your thoughtful charm overcame my resistance
you opened my mind with the things you said
then found a way into my bed
This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top
If you’re truly wild at heart you won’t turn away from your dreams
There we were talking in the dark
I touched your arm and I felt a spark
a fairy tale cliche but I do believe
then I knew you were the one for me
It was strange how I became bewitched
and it was like our roles then switched
I asked you to marry me you said get in line
you’re here for a good time not a long time
This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top
If you’re truly wild at heart you won’t turn away from your dreams
This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top
If you’re truly wild at heart don’t run away from love
Now I've tried the song using different chords on my ukulele:
Fixing Facebook
This week I read Facebook have a patent for identifying household demography based on users' photos
Having just seen this ad for a $175 panty, I thought I'd help improve their data by uploading a photo of my underwear.
Pretty sure I've been wearing these shorts since last century but I can't think of having shown them to many people before now.
From boobtube to Youtube
My kids watch a lot of Youtube, mostly videos of people playing video games
One thing that bothers me is the unregulated nature of the content, especially the ads they are forced to watch.
There is strict legislation surrounding the advertising (particularly at children) on television, yet it's quite shocking to see the branded content masquerading as user-generated material (like unboxing videos) and those commercials that play before videos too.
I was watching one the other day that basically told kids to pester parents for sugary cereal in the supermarket.
Another example is that advertising which has been banned from television is still available Youtube.
Like this Holden ute commercial that was deemed as showing unsafe driving.
One thing that bothers me is the unregulated nature of the content, especially the ads they are forced to watch.
There is strict legislation surrounding the advertising (particularly at children) on television, yet it's quite shocking to see the branded content masquerading as user-generated material (like unboxing videos) and those commercials that play before videos too.
I was watching one the other day that basically told kids to pester parents for sugary cereal in the supermarket.
Another example is that advertising which has been banned from television is still available Youtube.
Like this Holden ute commercial that was deemed as showing unsafe driving.
Kombucha? You betcha!
Shown here are a blood orange tea, Jo's "Immuni-tea" and brewed ginger with mint from our garden.
The last of those is the stand out at first sip, though I'm a bit crazy for mint and ginger at present.
Lush and juicy fully holding love
Wrote a song this morning drawing on words from women I know
One has written with a line from one of my dreams, so it feels kinda appropriate to be uniting our experiences in a way.
I'd like to acknowledge the chorus contains words from Waking Inanna, while the second and third verses draw on Tales from a Neon Light Diamond.
One has written with a line from one of my dreams, so it feels kinda appropriate to be uniting our experiences in a way.
I'd like to acknowledge the chorus contains words from Waking Inanna, while the second and third verses draw on Tales from a Neon Light Diamond.
Last night in a dream
a mother said to me
the child doesn’t know
that he’s asleep
afterwards I cried
just the moon and I
walked the streets and reconciled
my inner child
now I am closer to knowing
the form I fever for
know there is a lush and juicy,
fully holding love
This hand is shaking
at the thought of reaching out
I think of myself as a helper
not one being helped out
This hand I am waving
could say hello or goodbye
and with it the words I am saving
are hold me while I cry
now I am closer to knowing
the form I fever for
know there is a lush and juicy,
fully holding love
This gap we must bridge
seemed the hardest thing to do
barely had energy to function
let alone reach out to you
but I am learning to think about my needs
tell when I’m not okay
and know you will listen
to what I have to say
now I am closer to knowing
the form I fever for
know there is a lush and juicy,
fully holding love
Usain is insane
Coles had this on special for fifty cents
Presumably I've missed out on Dawn Fraser's Crazier and Freeman's Steamin' sauces.
There's no evidence of mental illness in the ingredients but the product design is questionable.
I'd like to see Michael Diamond Smells Like Dyin' branded fish sauce!
There's no evidence of mental illness in the ingredients but the product design is questionable.
Beg, borrow or pay overdue fines
Dark nettle beer
Brewed another nettle beer
The nettles were boiled a week ago and I let them sit in glass bottles until today.
I heated them with ginger, mugwort, mint, spearmint and a little wormwood and tansy.
Also added a few leaves from a wattle that was sprouting in the backyard,
And then there was a few shots of vodka which had soaked about four handfuls of lavender.
I also added three star anise.
Just under three kilos of brown sugar, one box of Cooper's brewing sugar and half a jar of molasses were stirred into 25 litres in the fermenter, with a starting gravity of 10.70.
I've read that nettles taste better with brown sugar, so I'm hoping the molasses will complement that flavour.
I used a dark brown sugar previously and got a dry ginger ale-like flavour which suited the green taste of the nettles.
Used more ginger this time, which seems to give a deep flavour, as well as bowl of mint that gives a strong punch in the mid-palate.
I've put leaves of mugwort, mint and a few tansy fronds into a bag to soak in the wort for the first few days too.
Hoping for an earthy porter-like flavour.
Edit: a week later and it has around 5% alcohol with still sugar to go.
The nettles were boiled a week ago and I let them sit in glass bottles until today.
I heated them with ginger, mugwort, mint, spearmint and a little wormwood and tansy.
Also added a few leaves from a wattle that was sprouting in the backyard,
And then there was a few shots of vodka which had soaked about four handfuls of lavender.
I also added three star anise.
Just under three kilos of brown sugar, one box of Cooper's brewing sugar and half a jar of molasses were stirred into 25 litres in the fermenter, with a starting gravity of 10.70.
I've read that nettles taste better with brown sugar, so I'm hoping the molasses will complement that flavour.
I used a dark brown sugar previously and got a dry ginger ale-like flavour which suited the green taste of the nettles.
Used more ginger this time, which seems to give a deep flavour, as well as bowl of mint that gives a strong punch in the mid-palate.
I've put leaves of mugwort, mint and a few tansy fronds into a bag to soak in the wort for the first few days too.
Hoping for an earthy porter-like flavour.
Cult classic
It was great to see kids simultaneously scared and curious, both wanting to know who it was and fearing the answer.
Recently I wore it at Burning Seed and it was the first time people stopped and asked to take a photo of my outfit.
One bloke lined up a beaut shot with the Temple lit behind me. He was a professional and the result on his camera was terrifying because I imagined it would appear in a magazine with the headline "DEATH CULT!"
Another guy delighted in pashing me in front of his friends because there was plastic preventing actual physical contact.
Netted more nettles
Collected more stinging nettles after posting a request on a local Facebook page
It was kind of the woman to respond, she couldn't believe someone wanted these weeds.
I'm boiling them with ginger and turmeric and hoping to add lavendar too.
However, my fermenter will be brewing another batch of nettle beer for a week.
So I will strain the liquid into bottles and hope they're okay until next weekend.
It was kind of the woman to respond, she couldn't believe someone wanted these weeds.
However, my fermenter will be brewing another batch of nettle beer for a week.
So I will strain the liquid into bottles and hope they're okay until next weekend.
Full moon dream
I've observed dreams are weird and this morning I had an interesting experience
The setting was an old family home from my childhood but I was holidaying there with my father and his current wife.
I was in the kitchen, checking on my homebrews and find many of the bottles were leaking gas.
My stepmother came home with a pet cat and I joked it was their child.
The cat began stumbling into the kitchen cupboards and my stepmother said "the child doesn't know it's asleep."
At this point I think I realised I was dreaming and, as usually happens, my conscious mind kicked in and I awoke.
It was early morning and I didn't think I'd get back to sleep, so I got up and started watching a movie.
Around the time of the full moon, I stopped the film to pee and started crying.
This was a sustained sobbing in the backyard under the moonlight.
I went for a walk and cried around the block.
Then I came home and wrote a series of haiku.
There were a variety of things going through my mind but I felt that I've turned a corner in my life.
I feel I've taken a large step away from my childhood as throughout my sobbing I felt surprised to hear my voice was that of an adult.
Later, while on Facebook, I was surprised to get a message from a burner who I see at Modifyre asking how the moon had been for me.
He's a lovely bloke and one who models a very different energy, a caring and calming kind, which seems to contrast with his big Maori presence.
I've been feeling quite emotional all day and thought I'd write this down so I can think on it again in the future.
The setting was an old family home from my childhood but I was holidaying there with my father and his current wife.
I was in the kitchen, checking on my homebrews and find many of the bottles were leaking gas.
My stepmother came home with a pet cat and I joked it was their child.
The cat began stumbling into the kitchen cupboards and my stepmother said "the child doesn't know it's asleep."
At this point I think I realised I was dreaming and, as usually happens, my conscious mind kicked in and I awoke.
It was early morning and I didn't think I'd get back to sleep, so I got up and started watching a movie.
This was a sustained sobbing in the backyard under the moonlight.
I went for a walk and cried around the block.
Then I came home and wrote a series of haiku.
There were a variety of things going through my mind but I felt that I've turned a corner in my life.
I feel I've taken a large step away from my childhood as throughout my sobbing I felt surprised to hear my voice was that of an adult.
Later, while on Facebook, I was surprised to get a message from a burner who I see at Modifyre asking how the moon had been for me.
He's a lovely bloke and one who models a very different energy, a caring and calming kind, which seems to contrast with his big Maori presence.
I've been feeling quite emotional all day and thought I'd write this down so I can think on it again in the future.
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