Idea Of North Concert

We are at St John's for an "Idea of North" concert. Greeted by a poignant reminder of the effects of off shore detention. Then annoy people I find in the audience

Ute - Spark Plugs & Coil Packs

The ute, having survived well past its useby date, was running rough. Engaged Chris Thomson to change the coil packs and spark plugs. Took it for a spin along ipswich rd. On the whole running better. The coil packs are the line of round things. The rags in the photo are shoved into various openings to protect against dropping things in. We still ended up short a bolt. Nowhere to be found.

Jemma erecting Christmas Tree

Grafton Rowing Camp

Spectre movie review

Paul, Phil and I took in the 8:30 screening of the latest James Bond movie - Spectre last night at the Eldorado.

Hmm what do you say. It's not one where one waits for the DVD. I don't reckon I could make it through if I was watching it on DVD. I found it tedious. There were a few times when I sat foward in my seat to avoid going off to sleep.

Daniel Craig playing James Bond seemed dull. The whole thing seemed to lack the sophistication that we associate with JB.

After a opening sequence which in hindsight was the highlight of the film we were treated to a lack luster opening credit sequence. Made me dream of those siluette sequences of the mid 1970's with "Shirly Bassey" or "lulu" singing.

The film then seemed to turn into a travelogue. I wondered whether the producers had emailed cities around the world offering to shoot some of the story and then chosen the cities who offered the best price and then run a script workshop to work out what they would actually film. Then shoved it all together.

Jemma Music Captain

Congratulations to Jemma who made music captain.
I arrived to find the school assembled with half a dozen rows of parents at the back.

They announced various best and fairest type awards - actually I think they were termed "Most improved".  The preps did very well. Small classes - more awards.  A predominance of girls getting awards.  In fact I thought the only preps getting awards were girls although this was later clarified in that one boy got an award but he likes to have gold braid in his hair and wore a tutu in the school play.

This year we had two girl captains announced.  No boys.  I had seen this before.  Year before last possibly.  I mentioned it to Megan and she commented along the lines that the boys were a pretty poor lot and you have to pick from the best talent available.  Now where have I heard that line before.  Oh yes now I remember - On the radio - Pretty much whenever there is a discussion on gender bias in Senior management.  In the latter context, I have heard the explanation that men promote men because we feel more comfortable employing or promoting those like us.  So if Boards and Senior management at loaded with private school boys there is a greater chance of a similar person being employed.  Hmm so I wonder when the head and deputy are both women  Hmm I wonder.

Then to draw in more pet peeves.  Firstly when the kids get to school they have to sit.  No running around for these kids. Oh no.  Not enough supervision.  Of course this impacts significantly on boys who then enter class full of boisterous energy, can't sit still and a labelled as being disruptive / unable to concentrate and so on.

Then the move of Gr7 to high school.  Now the juniors in primary school have even less mature role models to aspire to.  And did I see that illustrious publication "The Courier Mail" showing record numbers of the new grade 8 kids being suspended and expelled.

And finally I still cant get my head round why the school entrance age is tied to June whereas sport is age based on the the calendar year.  I wonder if the politicians and public servants somehow thought they would not have kids almost a year apart sitting in the one classroom.

Oxley SS play