Goats.....

from an email list I am on.... reportedly from someone doing a study on
blood typing in goats....

# The proper name for a group of goats is a trip.
# Goats are great swimmers.
# If bottled raised, goats will become bonded to their caregivers.
# Goats were domesticated around 7000 B.C.
# Domestic goats are found worldwide.
# There are six recognized dairy goat breeds in the United States:
Alpine, La Mancha, Oberhasli, Nubian, Saanen, Toggenburg.
# Each breed of dairy goat gives a different tasting milk. Oberhasli
goats give milk that tastes closest to cow's milk.
# Anything you make with cow's milk, you can make with goat's milk.
# Goat's discovered coffee beans.
# Goat milk has a higher butterfat content than cow's milk.
# Hearty seafarers, goats were kept by sailors for milk.
# Ancient Greeks used goat skins to make vellum and parchment.
# Goats are depicted in Paleolithic art.
# True wild goats are found throughout southern Asia.
# The Ibex (another wild goat species) populates Europe, Asia and Africa.
# Matriarchal herds of goats consist of 5 to 20 individuals.
# Goats are browsers, not grazers.
# Goats are extremely picky about what they eat.
# Goats DO NOT eat tin cans.
# Goats have only bottom front and side teeth, the top jaw does have a
large back molar for crushing things. (they do a good job of this ,
never stick your fingers back there)
# Goats have rectangular eyes - this allows them to see very well in the
dark.
# Goats contribute to desertification in Africa.
# The Rocky Mountain "goat" is not a true goat; it is closer to a sheep.
# Wild goats don't sleep.
# Goats use straw to scratch their backs.
# Cashmere comes from the undercoat of the Asian Kashmiri goat, with the
average annual yield per animal being less than one pound.
# Over 80% of worlds population eats goat meat,
# It will take the USA to the year 2052 to produce enough goat meat for
our people
# Mohair comes from the Turkish Angora goat.
# Most mohair now comes from Angora fleece raised in the U.S., with the
average annual yield per animal being four pounds.
# Goats catch colds and can succumb to pneumonia.
# The fat molecules in goat milk are five times smaller than the fat
molecules in cow milk. Goat milk is broken down in the stomach in twenty
minutes; it takes an hour for the stomach to break down cow's milk.
# Goats are great as stock animals. Goats are easier on the trail than
other pack/stock animals. Properly conditioned, a goat can carry up to
25%-30% of its body weight.
# There are over 210 breeds of goats and over 450 million goats in the
world
# pygmy goats are a species not a breed.
# Goats are great as stock / pack animals

potential evil overlords should read this:

100 things an Evil Overlord should do...

Aussie Terminology

Its about time ya learned some Aussie

Ace! : Excellent! Very good!
Aerial pingpong : Australian Rules football
Amber fluid : beer
Ambo : ambulance, ambulance driver
Ankle biter : small child
Apples, she'll be : It'll be all right
Arvo : afternoon
Aussie (pron. Ozzie) : Australian
Aussie salute : brushing away flies with the hand
Avos : avocados
B & S : Bachelors' and Spinsters' Ball - a very enjoyable party
usually held in rural areas
Back of Bourke : a very long way away
Bail (somebody) up : to corner somebody physically
Bail out : depart, usually angrily
Banana bender : a person from Queensland
Barbie : barbecue (noun)
Barrack : to cheer on (football team etc.)
Bastard : term of endearment
Bathers : swimming costume
Battler : someone working hard and only just making a living
Beaut, beauty : great, fantastic
Big-note oneself : brag, boast
Bikkie : biscuit (also "it cost big bikkies" - it was expensive)
Billabong : an ox-bow river or watering hole
Billy : teapot. Container for boiling water.
Bingle : motor vehicle accident
Bities : biting insects
Bitzer : mongrel dog (bits of this and bits of that)
Bizzo : business ("mind your own bizzo")
Black Stump, beyond the : a long way away, the back of nowhere
Bloke : man, guy
Bloody : very (bloody hard yakka)
Bloody oath! : that's certainly true
Blow in the bag : have a breathalyser test
Blowie : blow fly
Bludger : lazy person, layabout, somebody who always relies on other
people to do things or lend him things
Blue : fight ("he was having a blue with his wife")
Blue, make a : make a mistake
Bluey : pack, equipment, traffic ticket, redhead
Bluey : blue cattle dog (named after its subtle markings) which is an
excellent working dog. Everyone's favourite all-Aussie dog.
Bluey : heavy wool or felt jacket worn by mining and construction workers.
Bluey : bluebottle jellyfish
Bodgy : of inferior quality
Bog in : commence eating, to attack food with enthusiasm
Bog standard : basic, unadorned, without accessories (a bog standard
car, telephone etc.)
Bogan : person who takes little pride in his appearance, spends his
days slacking and drinking beer
Bogged : Stuck in mud, deep sand (a vehicle).
Bondi cigar : see "brown-eyed mullet"
Bonzer : great, ripper
Boogie board : a hybrid, half-sized surf board
Boomer : a large male kangaroo
Booze bus : police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers
Boozer : a pub
Bored shitless : very bored
Bottle shop : liquor shop
Bottle-o : liquor shop (originally a man with hessian bags going
around picking up beer bottles in the 50's and 60's)
Bottler : something excellent
Bottling, his blood's worth : he's an excellent, helpful bloke.
Bounce : a bully
Bourke Street, he doesn't know Christmas from : he's a bit slow in the
head. (Bourke Street is a brightly lit Melbourne street)
Bowl of rice, not my : not my cup of tea; I don't like it
Brass razoo, he hasn't got a : he's very poor
Brekkie : breakfast
Brick shit house, built like a : big strong bloke
Brickie : bricklayer
Brisvegas : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
Brizzie : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
Brown-eyed mullet : a turd in the sea (where you're swimming!)
Brumby : a wild horse
Buck's night : stag party, male gathering the night before the wedding
Buckley's, Buckley's chance : no chance ("New Zealand stands Buckley's
of beating Australia at football")
Budgie smugglers : men's bathing costume
Bull bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect it
against hitting kangaroos (also roo bar)
Bundy : short for Bundaberg, Queensland, and the brand of rum that's made there
Bunyip : mythical outback creature
Bush : the hinterland, the Outback, anywhere that isn't in town
Bush bash : long competitive running or motorcar race through the bush
Bush oyster : nasal mucus
Bush telly : campfire
Bushie : someone who lives in the Bush
Bushman's hanky : Emitting nasal mucus by placing one index finger on
the outside of the nose (thus blocking one nostril) and blowing.
Bushranger : highwayman, outlaw
Butcher : small glass of beer in South Australia - From the theory
that a butcher could take a quick break from his job, have a drink and
be back at work
BYO : unlicensed restaurant where you have to Bring Your Own grog,
also similar party or barbecue
Cab Sav : Cabernet Sauvignon (a variety of wine grape)
Cactus : dead, not functioning ("this bloody washing machine is cactus")
Cane toad : a person from Queensland
Captain Cook : look (noun) ("let's have a Captain Cook")
Cark it : to die, cease functioning
Cat burying shit, as busy as a : busy
Cat's piss, as mean as : mean, stingy, uncharitable
Chewie : chewing gum
Chokkie : chocolate
Chook : a chicken
Chrissie : Christmas
Christmas : see Bourke Street
Chuck a sickie : take the day off sick from work when you're perfectly healthy
Chunder : vomit
Clacker : anus (from Latin cloaca = sewer). Also the single orifice of
monotremes (platypus and echidna) used both for reproduction and for
the elimination of body wastes.
Clayton's : fake, substitute
Cleanskin : Bottle of wine without a label. Usually bought in bulk by
companies who then add their own personalised label and use the wine
as e.g. gifts to clients
Cleanskin : cattle that have not been branded, earmarked or castrated.
Click : kilometre - "it's 10 clicks away"
Clucky : feeling broody or maternal
Coathanger : Sydney Harbour bridge
Cobber : friend
Cockie : farmer
Cockie : cockatoo
Cockie : cockroach
Cockroach : a person from New South Wales
Coldie : a beer
Come a gutser : make a bad mistake, have an accident
Compo : Workers' Compensation pay
Conch (adj. conchy) : a conscientious person. Somebody who would
rather work or study than go out and enjoy him/herself.
Cooee, not within : figuratively a long way away, far off - England
weren't within cooee of beating Australia at cricket
Cooee, within : nearby - I was within cooee of landing a big fish when
the line broke. He lives within cooee of Sydney.
Cook (noun) : One's wife
Corker : something excellent. A good stroke in cricket might be
described as a 'corker of a shot'
Corroboree : an aboriginal dance festival
Counter lunch/Countery : pub lunch
Cozzie : swimming costume
Crack a fat : get an erection
Crack onto (someone) : to hit on someone, pursue someone romantically
Cranky : in a bad mood, angry
Cream (verb) : defeat by a large margin
Crook : sick, or badly made
Crow eater : a person from South Australia
Cubby house : Small, usually timber, house in the garden used as a
children's plaything.
Cut lunch : sandwiches
Cut lunch commando : army reservist
Cut snake, mad as a : very angry
Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof
Daks : trousers
Damper : bread made from flour and water
Date : arse[hole] ("get off your fat date")
Dead dingo's donger, as dry as a : dry
Dead horse : Tomato sauce
Deadset : true, the truth
Dero : tramp, hobo, homeless person (from "derelict")
Dickhead : see "whacker"
Digger : a soldier
Dill : an idiot
Dingo's breakfast : a yawn, a leak and a good look round (i.e. no breakfast)
Dinkum, fair dinkum : true, real, genuine ("I'm a dinkum Aussie"; "is
he fair dinkum?")
Dinky-di : the real thing, genuine
Dipstick : a loser, idiot
Divvy van : Police vehicle used for transporting criminals. Named
after the protective 'division' between the driver and the villains.
Dob (somebody) in : inform on somebody. Hence dobber, a tell-tale
Docket : a bill, receipt
Doco : documentary
Dog : unattractive woman
Dog's balls, stands out like : obvious
Dog's eye : meat pie
Dole bludger : somebody on social assistance when unjustified
Donger : penis
Doodle : penis
Down Under : Australia and New Zealand
Drink with the flies : to drink alone
Drongo : a dope, stupid person
Dropkick : see 'dipstick'
Drum : information, tip-off ("I'll give you the drum")
Duchess : sideboard
Duffer, cattle : rustler
Dummy, spit the : get very upset at something
Dunny : outside lavatory
Dunny budgie : blowfly
Dunny rat, cunning as a : very cunning
Durry : tobacco, cigarette
Dux : top of the class (n.); to be top of the class (v.) - "She duxed
four of her subjects".
Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter
Ekka : the Brisbane Exhibition, an annual show
Esky : large insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc.
Exy : expensive
Face, off one's : drunk ("He was off his face by 9pm")
Fair dinkum : true, genuine
Fair go : a chance ("give a bloke a fair go")
Fair suck of the sav! : exclamation of wonder, awe, disbelief (see also "sav")
Fairy floss : candy floss, cotton candy
Feral : V8 ute (q.v.) sporting large heavy bullbar, numerous aerials,
large truck mudflaps and stickers almost all over the rear window and
tailgate. Sometimes seen with a Mack emblem on the bonnet and always
with large (multiple) driving lights
Feral (n.) : a hippie
Figjam : "F*ck I'm good; just ask me". Nickname for people who have a
high opinion of themselves.
Fisho : fishmonger
Flake : shark's flesh (sold in fish & chips shops)
Flat out like a lizard drinking : flat out, busy
Flick : to give something or somebody the flick is to get rid of it or him/her
Flick it on : to sell something, usually for a quick profit, soon
after buying it.
Fly wire : gauze flyscreen covering a window or doorway.
Footy : Australian Rules football
Fossick : search, rummage ("fossicking through the kitchen drawers")
Fossick : to prospect, e.g. for gold
Fossicker : prospector, e.g. for gold
Franger : condom
Freckle : anus
Fremantle Doctor : the cooling afternoon breeze that arrives in Perth
from the direction of Freeo
Freo : Fremantle in Western Australia
Frog in a sock, as cross as a : sounding angry - a person or your hard drive!
Fruit loop : fool
Full : drunk
Furphy : false or unreliable rumour
G'Day : hello!
Gabba : Wooloongabba - the Brisbane cricket ground
GAFA (pron. gaffa) : the big nothingness of the Australian Outback.
Great Australian F**k All.
Galah : fool, silly person. Named after the bird of the same name
because of its antics and the noise it makes.
Garbo, garbologist : municipal garbage collector
Give it a burl : try it, have a go
Gobful, give a : to abuse, usually justifiably ("The neighbours were
having a noisy party so I went and gave them a gobful")
Gobsmacked : surprised, astounded
Going off : used of a night spot or party that is a lot of fun - "the
place was really going off"
Good oil : useful information, a good idea, the truth
Good onya : good for you, well done
Goog, as full as a : drunk. "Goog" is a variation of the northern
English slangword "goggie" meaning an egg.
Greenie : environmentalist
Grinning like a shot fox : very happy, smugly satisfied
Grog : liquor, beer ("bring your own grog, you bludger")
Grouse (adj.) : great, terrific, very good
Grundies : undies, underwear (from Reg Grundy, a television person)
Gutful of piss : drunk, "he's got a gutful of piss"
Gyno : gynaecologist
Handle : beer glass with a handle
Harold Holt, to do the : To bolt. (Also "to do the Harold")
Heaps : a lot, e.g. "thanks heaps", "(s)he earned heaps of money" etc.
Holy dooley! : an exclamation of surprise = "Good heavens!", "My
goodness!" "Good grief!" or similar
Hoon : hooligan
Hooroo : goodbye
Hotel : often just a pub
Hottie : hot water bottle
Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollypop
Jackaroo : a male trainee station manager or station hand (a station
is a big farm/grazing property)
Jillaroo : a female trainee station manager or station hand
Joey : baby kangaroo
Journo : journalist
Jug : electric kettle
Jumbuck : sheep
Kangaroos loose in the top paddock : Intellectually inadequate ("he's
got kangaroos loose in the top paddock")
Kelpie : Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish collie
Kero : kerosene
Kindie : kindergarten
Knock : to criticise
Knock back : refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb)
Knocker : somebody who criticises
Lair : a flashily dressed young man of brash and vulgar behaviour, to
dress up in flashy clothes, to renovate or dress up something in bad
taste
Lair it up : to behave in a brash and vulgar manner
Larrikin : a bloke who is always enjoying himself, harmless prankster
Lend of, to have a : to take advantage of somebody's gullibility, to
have someone on ("he's having a lend of you")
Lippy : lipstick
Liquid laugh : vomit
Lizard drinking, flat out like a : flat out, busy
Lob, lob in : drop in to see someone ("the rellies have lobbed")
Lollies : sweets, candy
London to a brick : absolute certainty ("it's London to a brick that
taxes won't go down")
Long paddock : the side of the road where livestock is grazed during droughts
Longneck : 750ml bottle of beer in South Australia
Lucky Country, The : Australia, where else?
Lunch, who opened their? : OK, who farted?
Lurk : illegal or underhanded racket
Maccas (pron. "mackers") : McDonald's (the hamburger place)
Mallee bull, as fit as a : very fit and strong. The Mallee is very
arid beef country in Victoria/South Australia.
Manchester : Household linen, eg sheets etc.
Mappa Tassie : map of Tasmania - a woman's pubic area
Mate : buddy, friend
Mate's rate, mate's discount : cheaper than usual for a "friend"
Matilda : swagman's bedding, sleeping roll
Metho : methylated spirits
Mexican : a person from south of the Queensland or New South Wales border
Mickey Mouse : excellent, very good. Beware though - in some parts of
Australia it means inconsequential, frivolous or not very good!
Middy : 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales
Milk bar : corner shop that sells takeaway food
Milko : milkman
Mob : group of people, not necessarily troublesome
Mob : family or herd (?) of kangaroos
Mongrel : despicable person
Moolah : money
Mozzie : mosquito
Muddy : mud crab (a great delicacy)
Mug : friendly insult ("have a go, yer mug"), gullible person
Mull : grass (the kind you smoke)
Muster : round up sheep or cattle
Mystery bag : a sausage
Nasho : National Service (compulsory military service)
Naughty, have a : have sex
Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia
Nipper : young surf lifesaver
No drama : same as 'no worries'
No worries! : Expression of forgiveness or reassurance (No problem;
forget about it; I can do it; Yes, I'll do it)
No-hoper : somebody who'll never do well
Not the full quid : not bright intellectually
Nuddy, in the : naked
Nun's nasty, as dry as a : dry
Nut out : hammer out or work out (an agreement, say)
O.S. : overseas ("he's gone O.S.")
Ocker : an unsophisticated person
Offsider : an assistant, helper
Old fella : penis
Oldies : parents - "I'll have to ask my oldies"
Op shop : opportunity shop, thrift store, place where second hand
goods are sold.
Outback : interior of Australia
Oz : Australia!
Paddock : see 'long paddock'
Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence "pashing on"
Pav : Pavlova - a rich, creamy Australian dessert
Perve (noun & verb) : looking lustfully at the opposite sex
Piece of piss : easy task
Pig's arse! : I don't agree with you
Piker : Someone who doesn't want to fit in with others socially,
leaves parties early
Pink slip, get the : get the sack (from the colour of the termination form)
Pint : large glass of beer (esp. in South Australia)
Piss : beer. Hence "hit the piss", "sink some piss"
Plate, bring a : Instruction on party or BBQ invitation to bring your
own food. It doesn't mean they're short of crockery!
Plonk : cheap wine
Pokies : poker machines, fruit machines, gambling slot machines
Polly : politician
Pom, pommy, pommie : an Englishman • See the complaint about "Pom" etc.
Pommy bastard : an Englishman (see also 'bastard')
Pommy shower : using deodorant instead of taking a shower
Pommy's towel, as dry as a : very dry - based on the canard that Poms
bathe about once a month
Porky : Lie, untruth (pork pie = lie)
Port : suitcase (portmanteau)
Postie : postman, mailman
Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria
Pozzy : position - get a good pozzy at the football stadium
Prezzy : present, gift
Quid, make a : earn a living - "are you making a quid?"
Quid, not the full : of low IQ. [Historical note: 'quid' is slang for
a pound. £1 became $2 when Australia converted to decimal currency]
Rack off : push off! get lost! get out of here! also "rack off hairy legs!".
Rage : party
Rage on : to continue partying - "we raged on until 3am"
Rapt : pleased, delighted
Ratbag : mild insult
Raw prawn, to come the : to bullshit, to be generally disagreeable
Reckon! : you bet! Absolutely!
Reffo : refugee
Rego : vehicle registration
Rellie or relo : family relative
Ridgy-didge : original, genuine
Right, she : it'll be all right
Right, that'd be : Accepting bad news as inevitable. ("I went fishing
but caught nothing." "Yeah, that'd be right.")
Rip snorter : great, fantastic - "it was a rip snorter of a party"
Ripper : great, fantastic - "it was a ripper party"
Ripper, you little! : Exclamation of delight or as a reaction to good news
Road train : big truck with many trailers
Rock up : to turn up, to arrive - "we rocked up at their house at 8pm"
Rollie : a cigarette that you roll yourself
Roo : kangaroo
Roo bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect it
against hitting kangaroos (also bull bar)
Root (verb and noun) : synonym for f*ck in nearly all its senses: "I
feel rooted"; "this washing machine is rooted"; "(s)he's a good root".
A very useful word in fairly polite company.
Root rat : somebody who is constantly looking for sex.
Ropeable : very angry
Rort (verb or noun) : Cheating, fiddling, defrauding (expenses, the
system etc.). Usually used of politicians
Rotten : drunk - "I went out last night and got rotten"
Rubbish (verb) : to criticize
Salute, Aussie : brushing flies away
Salvos, the : Salvation Army, bless them
Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia
Sanger : a sandwich
Sav : saveloy (see also "fair suck of the sav!")
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland; medium beer glass in South Australia
Scratchy : instant lottery ticket
Screamer : party lover; "two pot screamer" - somebody who gets drunk
on very little alcohol
Seppo : an American
Servo : petrol station
Shag on a rock, stands out like a : very obvious
Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing
She'll be right : it'll turn out okay
Sheepshagger : A New Zealander
Sheila : a woman
Shit house (adj.) : of poor quality, unenjoyable ("this car is shit
house", "the movie was shit house")
Shit house (noun) : toilet, lavatory
Shonky : dubious, underhanded. E.g. a shonky practice, shonky business etc.
Shoot through : to leave
Shout : turn to buy - a round of drinks usually ("it's your shout")
Show pony : someone who tries hard, by his dress or behaviour, to
impress those around him.
Sickie : day off sick from work (chuck a sickie = take the day off
sick from work when you're perfectly healthy!)
Skite : boast, brag
Skull/Skol (a beer) : to drink a beer in a single draught without
taking a breath
Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
Sleepout : house verandah converted to a bedroom
Smoko : smoke or coffee break
Snag : a sausage
Sook : person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Hence sooky (adj.)
Spag bol : spaghetti bolognese
Spewin' : very angry
Spiffy, pretty spiffy : great, excellent
Spit the dummy : get very upset at something
Spruiker : man who stands outside a nightclub or restaurant trying to
persuade people to enter
Sprung : caught doing something wrong
Spunk : a good looking person (of either sex)
Squizz (noun) : look - "take a squizz at this"
Standover man : a large man, usually gang-related, who threatens
people with physical violence in order to have his wishes carried out.
Station : a big farm/grazing property
Stickybeak : nosy person
Stoked : very pleased
Stonkered : drunk
Strewth : exclamation, mild oath ("Strewth, that Chris is a bonzer bloke")
Strides : trousers
Strine : Australian slang and pronunciation
Stubby : a 375ml. beer bottle
Stubby holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby
Stuffed, I feel : I'm tired
Stuffed, I'll be : expression of surprise
Sunbake : sunbathe
Sunnies : sunglasses
Surfies : people who go surfing - usually more often than they go to work!
Swag : rolled up bedding etc. carried by a swagman
Swaggie : swagman
Swagman : tramp, hobo
Tall poppies : successful people
Tall poppy syndrome : the tendency to criticize successful people
Tallie : 750ml bottle of beer
Taswegian : derogatory term for a person from Tasmania
Technicolor yawn : vomit
Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)
Thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals
Throw-down : small bottle of beer which you can throw down quickly.
Tickets, to have on oneself : to have a high opinion of oneself
Tinny : can of beer
Tinny : small aluminium boat
Tinny, tin-arsed : lucky
Togs : swim suit
Too right! : definitely!
Top End : far north of Australia
Trackie daks/dacks : tracksuit pants
Trackies : track suit
Troppo, gone : to have escaped to a state of tropical madness; to have
lost the veneer of civilisation after spending too long in the
tropics.
Trough lolly : the solid piece of perfumed disinfectant in a men's urinal
Truckie : truck driver
True blue : patriotic
Tucker : food
Tucker-bag : food bag
Turps : turpentine, alcoholic drink
Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge
Two up : gambling game played by spinning two coins simultaneously
Uni : university
Unit : flat, apartment
Up oneself : have a high opinion of oneself - "he's really up himself"
Up somebody, get : to rebuke somebody - "the boss got up me for being late"
Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike / tits on a bull : unhelpful or
incompetent person or thing - "he, she or it is about as useful as
tits on a bull" etc. etc.
Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck
Vedgies : vegetables
Vee dub : Volkswagen
Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)
Vejjo : vegetarian
Vinnie's : St. Vincent De Paul's (charity thrift stores and hostels)
WACA (pron. whacker) : Western Australian Cricket Association and the
Perth cricket ground
Waggin' school : playing truant
Walkabout : a walk in the Outback by Aborigines that lasts for an
indefinite amount of time
Walkabout, it's gone : it's lost, can't be found
Weekend warrior : army reservist
Whacker, whacka : Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom
you have little patience; a dickhead
Whinge : complain
White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers
Whiteant (verb) : to criticise something to deter somebody from buying
it. A car dealer might whiteant another dealer's cars or a real estate
salesman might whiteant another agent's property
Wobbly : excitable behaviour ("I complained about the food and the
waiter threw a wobbly")
Wobbly boot on, he's got the : drunk
Wog : flu or trivial illness
Wog : person of Mediterranean origin. A milder insult than the same
word in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.
Wombat : somebody who eats, roots and leaves (see also root)
Woop Woop : invented name for any small unimportant town - "he lives
in Woop Woop"
Wowser : straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport
Wuss : coward; nervous person or animal
XXXX : pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland
Yabber : talk (a lot)
Yabby : inland freshwater crayfish found in Australia (Cherax destructor)
Yakka : work (noun)
Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights")
Yobbo : an uncouth person
Zack : sixpence (5 cents) - "it isn't worth a zack", "he hasn't got a
zack" (not sure I've heard this one in WA... Quad)

Mentor info at my finger tips

The Volunteer Portal:
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This the gateway to much of our information. There is a lot of stuff here, if you dig for it. Find links to resources for other languages (French, Spanish, Japanese, etc.)

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-- http://vteamblog.com/
The VTEAM Blog has information about upcoming meeting & events,transcripts of meetings, and upcoming classes taught by mentors (week to week)

* Monthly Meeting Schedule:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Monthly_Mentor_Meetings_and_Events_Schedule

* Mentors Teaching Mentors
-- http://vteamblog.com/
The class announcements and schedules are maintained at the Vteam blog.

-- http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Volunteer-sponsored_Classes
Another place

-- http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mentors_Teaching_Mentors
Outlines the requirements for teaching other mentors

* Mentor Goodies and Freebies
-- http://slurl.com/secondlife/SLVEC/120/128/22
-- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tenera/208/85/70

Go to the kiosks all around the landing zone - explore the language-specific shops, pickup the latest Orientation Island HUDS and work them yourself (keep an unused one to give to a newbie who might not have their tutorial on their screen). There are notecards with useful info, New Mentor Starter kits

* Wiki User Page creation
-- http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Quickie_Wiki_Intro
Shows you how to go about creating your User Profile Page (like the link at the bottom of my messages). Translated into several languages for your convenience. This page has been translated into numerous languages - and we're still looking for people to help translate into other languages. Click the language navbar at the top of the page for your locale.

* Places to volunteer
-- http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Inworld_Locations_for_Volunteers
Suggestions on where to show up to help people. Translated into a couple languages.

* Helping Residents & Troubleshooting tips
-- https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/User:Lum_Pfohl/Troubleshooting

Other sources of information
===================

* SL Forum (Restricted- requiring registered payment info)
-- http://forums.secondlife.com/
Discussions on scripting, access to a scripting library, the knowledge base,Animation Tips, Building Tips, Texturing Tips, Scripting Tips, Movies and Machinima, etc., etc.! Includes multi-language forums in German,Korean, Japanese, Italian and Spanish.

* SL Support Portal
-- https://support.secondlife.com
Access to FAQ's and Knowledge base and Solution Finder. Requires login (and available to basic membership residents). For premium account residents, it also allows you to navigate to a Live Chat page with Linden Support.

* Resident Blogs & Tutorials
-- http://www.mermaiddiaries.com/2006/11/build.html
This girl is incredible! She will show you how to make everything from shoes to hair to clothing and more!

-- http://torley.com/
Torley Linden's blog where he features lots and lots of YouTube video tutorials on how to do stuff and what stuff mean.

-- http://www.vintfalken.com/
Like Natalia above, Vint Falken is another super-explorer with useful tutorials on just about any topic (including building and Photoshop)

* Use Your Search Feature
-- Press the SEARCH button and select the ALL tab. Enter 'Mentor' and search. Wiki pages, Mentor Buddy Lists can be viewed directly from inside SL without having to open up a new browser!

* When all else fails
-- http://www.google.com
Search for ' second life +site:youtube.com '
Search for ' second life tier fees '
Search for ' second life mac right click '
Search for ' second life estate tools '
so on and so forth.

* What's been going on with SL
-- http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php

SL on Life Matters on Radio National

Listen now or read the transcript in a few days after broadcast...

See my shared Google Reader Items...

quadrapop's shared items

Stuff I find interesting that comes up in my google reader....

Orders of magnitude explained

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/

found whilst looking at some other interesting Physics videos at

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01Physics-IFall1999/VideoLectures/index.htm

which was triggered by listening to a download of the ABC.net.au archive of last week's Science Show:
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/ssw_20080503.mp3

Natural learning working as it does...

Arts on ABC for SL

General Websites

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/books/

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/visual/

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/design/

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/performance/

http://www.abc.net.au/subjects.htm#arts

Blog
http://blogs.abc.net.au/articulate/


Video/Audio on demand
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/adlib/

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/strange/
requires realplayer

http://www.abc.net.au/vod/entertainment/
http://www.abc.net.au/vod/arts/

Shoutcast stations to listen to - a archive of the shoutcasts I like to listen to...

Analog rock, digitally-affected, to calm the agitated heart. [SomaFM])
http://fx.somafm.com:8900

TechnoBase.FM - 24h Techno, Dance, Trance, House and More - 128k MP3)
http://91.121.94.112:80

Drone Zone: Atmospheric ambient space music. Serve Best Chilled. Safe with most medications. [SomaFM])
http://scfire-ntc-aa04.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1032

Indie Pop Rocks! [SomaFM])
http://scfire-chi0l-2.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1073

Tag's Trip [SomaFM])
http://205.188.215.230:8012

S K Y . F M - Mostly Classical - Listen and Relax, it's good for you! www.sky.fm)
http://scfire-chi-aa04.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1006

S K Y . F M - Classical & Flamenco Guitar - a mix of classical, spanish, and flamenco guitar)
http://207.200.96.229:8016

So your kids are into games on the computer?

And you are getting concerned about it...

Have a look at this blog post by Gary Hayes
http://www.personalizemedia.com/index.php/2007/07/05/the-games-universe/
to his blog I add this:
not only are games not what they used to be but the industry behind them
is not what it used to be and is a strong competitor for every
publishing media from print to broadcast and movies.

There is also the aspect of the experiencial dimension of the web (what
some including gary call Web3.0) which the children of our children will
look back on in the same way our kids look at having to go to a cinema
to see a movie - something their grandparents did...

We are well and truly into the Information age (and I suspect that
before long there will be an age of scarcity or at least conservation)
which will be mediated not by the media we understand today but new
versions being that are in the embrionic stages today.

Quadrapop tree in SL

Yes, that is true... the Tree now has a branch in Second Life. And that may well be a big part of why I haven't posed here in a while.

So, if you are in world pop past and see what is on the walls or displayed around the place: Quadrapop Tree, Pelinor (145, 145, 50).

If you don't know what the h*ll I'm on about then we shall return you to your regular scheduled programming....

Or you can go check out the Second Life webpage. Careful SL can become addictive;-)

TED - Technology, Entertainment, Design - great talks on all sorts

http://www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/5

worth browsing through their list of talks on line

inspiring and informative - a mix of doco and uni lecture/presentation

eg http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/141

Enjoy....

online cardweaving/tablet weaving simulator

http://www.theloomybin.com/cw/index.html

thanks to my photography friend at Archeon for the link

M de H

The SCA: what to expect, or, I’m interested, now what’s it all about?

The following is an article I wrote for the April Issue of The Rhol -
the newsletter for the Canton of Abertridwr
<http://www.sca.org.au/abertridwr/WebMain.html>:

What do we do?
The following article seeks to outline the various and diverse
activities undertaken by members of the SCA. Most people try a few and
settle on a those that strike their fancy or skills. Over the years many
will attempt them all.

Guilds
Most of the activities that folks get up to within the SCA are covered
by a Guild or Company. If you are interested in joining a Guild (it's
not necessary to do so to practice or engage in most activities) there
are some entry requirements. Usually you need to display a basic working
knowledge of the area of interest (not too hard if you are already
interested in the subject).
Guilds hold competitions to encourage involvement and honour those who
display excellence. Their members are knowledgeable folk who readily
answer questions and share resources regarding their topics of interest.

Arts & Sciences
Most of these activities can be done in the company of others at
training, Arts & Sciences meeting, or whilst attending other events, but
then again, many of the activities enjoyed by members are time consuming
or engaging (not to mention requiring bulky or specialist equipment) and
often need to be done outside of group activities. The SCA is not the
kind of group, club or association where you can only do it during
events, there is plenty of homework and self directed research and
application. Unsurprisingly this pastime often becomes a way of life
and, in many, inspires a passion for history.
There is a rare form of satisfaction involved in working out how
something was done 700 years ago from scraps of information one has
gleaned from many sources and experimented with till one can recreate a
reasonable example.
Abertridwr holds Arts & Science (A&S) days on the 3rd Saturday of the
month at Kane & Rhianwen's house in Willagee, and Aneala holds A&S
evenings every Tuesday evening at UWA.

People & jargon
Then there is the social side, the SCA is full of geeks of every stripe,
from sport to technology, from musical to culinary. The variety of
people is such that you are bound to find someone with similar interests
to your own.
There will be some in game jargon to learn, as with all specialty
activities. The SCA's jargon tends to be more obvious as it is
recreating a very different age and intrudes on areas that another sport
or craft would not. Chivalry and courtesy are central to our
interpersonal interactions. Polite greetings of "Good Day My lord" or
"Good Day My Lady" to those you meet helps to create the impression of
no longer being in the 21st Century, as does keeping discussion of out
of game matters to a minimum during costumed events.
If you see someone with a coronet or to whom others are bowing it would
be courteous to do the same as these people will probably be either the
Baron or Baroness and may be politely addressed as "Your Excellency".
Any Lord wearing a white belt will be a 'belted knight' and will be
known as Sir 'Someone'.The guys wearing red belts are their squires.
There is one big difference between the SCA and many of the other
recreation (or living history groups) we don't expect newcomers to have
all the kit to begin with before they start to play. A t-tunic, cloth
bag, clay mug, bowl and wooden spoon may be all you need to happily
engage in SCA activities for years (and you are not even expected to
have those for your first event, we have loaner garb and gear to tide
you over), but very few people go to more than an event or two before
they find they have acquired or are making a number of other items to
add to their feasting box, wardrobe and equipment.
The more you put into this interest the more you will get out of it - a
reminder to both new and old members.

Dressing up
As most events are "in garb" getting dressed up is one thing we all do.
How dressed up is up to the individual's ability or interest, though at
least some attempt at pre-17th century dress is encouraged.
Thus at most events you will see folks in everything from simple
T-tunics over trousers to hand sewn high Elizabethan costume recreating
a garment from a royal portrait (well, usually at least some ladies will
be in bespoke bodices and big skirts and some men might be in tights or
braes). Head coverings are a good idea as most cultures during Period
required the well dressed to wear something on their heads. This will
range from a simple head wrap or straw hat to fancy floppy things with
feathers and beads. It all depends of the wearer's persona, culture, or
ability. Wearing hats is a good idea as most of us can then dispense
with the mundane dark glasses to survive Abertridwr's bright sunshine.
Shoes will range from simple sandals or strong boots (usually on
fighters) to handmade turnshoes or boots made either by the wearer or
bought or bartered form another re-enactor whose specialty is making
shoes. If it is chilly most folk will add a warm cloak to their
ensemble, this may be a plain dark wool blanket fastened with a clasp a
la Anglo Saxon or Viking or it might be a beautifully embroidered velvet
silk lined hooded court cloak (though I don't think I've seen one of the
latter outside of Rowany Festival (a camping event held over Easter in
NSW) during a cold court ;-).

Costuming
If you are into sewing and making costumes you will be in seventh
heaven.As there are so many styles and cultures covered by the SCA's
period, you are bound to find something to suit your taste. Everything
from simple linen (or a close approximation) tunics to highly beaded and
embroidered bodices or houpelands. If sewing is your thing you will
probably end up with lots of fabrics (if you don't already have a
cupboard full) and a number of projects on the go at once (or not,
depending on your approach to sewing and making costumes).
If sewing is really not your thing, don't despair, talk to one of the
folk sitting and sewing at the event and ask around for help - someone
will be more than willing to help turn your material into a tunic or
dress, especially if you have at least some idea of pattern, period or
culture. Busy bees and Arts & Science days are good times to ask for
advice and see what others are doing.

Embroidery
Handy with a needle and thread? There is the Worshipful Company of
Broiderers <http://www.sca.org.au/broiderers/index.htm> to join. If you
want specky decorated garb and accessories that will win prizes in Arts
& Sciences competitions you will need to embroider it yourself or make
borders by weaving in some manner. At events though, you will notice
that most folks use machine made trim in appropriate colours and
materials (or at least a good approximation there of). Stitch and Bitch
is held during A&S meets and many a lady is seen during training or
tourneys with some sewing on her lap. And not a few of the men too;-)

Fighting
This is what a lot of folks think the SCA is all about, but I'm sorry
fighters: it isn't the be all and end all... fighters still need to be
dressed appropriately when not fighting and to eat period style foods at
feasts, and the belts and swords they earn the right to wear are made by
someone. OK, so heavy fighting (or being a heavy fighter's consort -
male or female) is the only way to one day be King or Queen but you can
gain kudos in other ways too.
All SCA groups from Shire to Barony hold training sessions for the
various fighters. There are 3 kinds, with both men and women taking part
in all: heavy (you get to wear a padded gambeson under at least minimal
metal armour and helmet - there are several loaner suits available and
more in the pipeline) and hit similarly armoured people with rattan and
tape swords (bastard, one handed, two handed, axe, pole arm etc); light
(usually only seen at war training or war scenarios) which includes
combat archers and who get to wear minimal metal armour too; and rapier
(you get to wear a padded gambeson or similar and a fencing mask) and
fight in the round with metal or fibre glass blades with safety tips.
Armouring in Abertridwr mostly takes place at Bastion (come along to an
open house or A&S Saturday) but there are members spread across the
southern metropolitan area who have an interest in arms and armouring.
(And more north of the Swan River...)
Safety is a big thing in the styles of fighting you will experience in
the SCA. All training and tourneys are supervised by authorised
marshals. If you ever hear 'HOLD' during training or a tourney stop what
you are doing and look to the person who yelled, as there is a safety issue.
Training for both Aneala and Abertridwr is on Sundays for all forms of
combat. Aneala in the morning at Lake Monger and Abertridwr in the
afternoon at South Fremantle High School (See the map on the Regular
event's page) unless there is some other event on that day.

Archery
We have both target and combat archery opportunities. You can use modern
recurve bows, but the arrows are all wooden shafted with feather
fletching and, if used in combat, have special rubber 'blunts' instead
of points.
Archery training is held at Lake Monger on Sunday mornings when there
are enough archers and archery marshals.

Cooking
We all have to eat. Medieval food isn't all boiled cabbage and rancid
meat - that's a Hollywood invention. Some of the tastiest dishes I've
eaten have been at SCA feasts.
Cooks 'redact' or recreate recipes from medieval descriptions or
'recipes' that read very differently from modern recipes. It can be
challenging to find the ingredients or to work out what is meant, or the
measures involved. There are many recipes available already converted
for modern kitchens and available ingredients. Try looking on the Lochac
Cooks Guild <http://www.sca.org.au/cooks/Pages/Links/recipes.htm>
webpage or search through Stefan's Florilegium
<http://www.florilegium.org/> (this is a useful link for many aspects of
the SCA)
The Cook's Guild meets monthly in Abertridwr at Kilic's house in
Cannington, contact Rhianwen for dates, venue and focus dishes.

Brewing
What to drink? Small beer, beer, cider, spirits, cordials... all kinds
of brewing is done by members of the Barony and Canton. The results of
their labours are often part of feasts and prize tables. The Brewer's
Vintner's and Imbiber's Guild meets intermittently - if at all
interested in making or tasting of their wares contact Creag at
ghilander@arach.net.au for dates etc.

Performing
If the performing arts are your thing, then look no further than the
Bardic Guild. All forms of performance: storytelling, poetry, singing
(singly or in groups), instrumental, and plays are covered by this Guild.
What sort of music? Madrigals, plainsong, and some traditional pieces
are the mainstay. Researching medieval music and performance is
interesting due to the lack of written evidence - but that's all part of
the challenge. To get you started there are a number of madrigals and
other songs collected into song books available on the web: an example
is the Rowany Festival Songbook
<http://www.sca.org.au/rowany/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=68&func=fileinfo&id=10>
from AS XL. The local bards meet on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday evenings of
the month at the Aneala A&S evening at UWA.

Dancing
The Dancers have their own Guild: The Guild of the Silver Rondel. Most
dances are done in groups of pairs and involve fairly easily learnt
footwork. Dancing practice is once a month at Aneala A&S night at UWA
and is available if there is interest at Abertridwr training on Sunday
afternoons.

Illumination
If drawing or calligraphy is of interest you will not be disappointed in
the opportunities available to learn and share your passion. Two Guilds
cover this area The Painter's and Limner's Guild
(http://www.sca.org.au/peyntlimners/) and The Scribe's Guild

http://www.sca.org.au/scribe/). Weekly meetings will recommence once
Branwen is back in town. Contact Rhianwen for details.

Gaming
No, not RPGs (though a number of our membership indulge in this outside
of SCA) nor do we run a betting shop! What I am talking about here are
the many old and interesting board, card, field and children's games
that have survived to the modern day and some that did not, but are none
the less played by our membership. Everything from Chess to Dice games,
Alqurque to Nine Men's Morris and an evil game called Tablero.
There are several feasting/tavern events held during the year at which
many games will be played. Look out for the infamous Whyte Horse Tavern...

Heraldry
Want to know what the symbols of the banners and flags mean? And why
some folk have their symbols on their shields and others don't? Have a
loud voice and a flare for talking forsoothly? Then Heraldry could be
for you! The Heralds are the people with the green tabards and booming
voices at the tourney calling every one to Court, or the person who
comes around at 8am at a camping event loudly proclaiming that breakfast
will be over in half an hour so you'd best move along...
The College of Heralds are the ones who will pass or turn down your name
and device registrations and your local herald is the person who can
helps you make a submission.

Speaking of names...
So why does everyone you meet have a weird unpronounceable name? This is
mostly because it helps us to separate the 'in game' from the
'mundane'... and this also aids in playing a medieval persona at events.
The SCA covers cultures and languages, from Norse to Middle Eastern and
beyond, through 1000+ years of history so naming conventions,
pronunciation and spelling are (unsurprisingly) diverse.
When choosing your Society name take your time and do some research
about the culture or time period which interests you - or the people
during period who engaged in your favourite SCA activity. What were they
called and why? Beware, though you can change your Society name as often
as you like, you may end up being known by the first name you chose...
Choosing a name is a wonderful way to end up learning a lot about your
chosen persona's time, place and culture... or even as a way of creating
a persona - pick a name and find out who would have been likely to have
that name and why.

But wait, there's more...
I could go on for pages with tips and information on the many areas of
SCA activity that I have not so far mentioned (like gardening,
metalworking, jewellery, leatherwork, spinning, weaving etc), but space
is limited and you will have fun finding most of it out for yourself - I
know I did in the first years of being in the Society.

Yours in Service to the Dream,
Maria of Heybridge

160 Books for Boys

http://tinyurl.com/2fzxxp

A curious list of books for boys generated who knows how in the UK and was published yesterday by the UK Education Secretary and reported in The Times Online. It is aimed at secondary school aged boys ie 11+. The list appears to be grouped into catagories...

1. The Top 10 of Everything 2007 by Russell Ash, Hamlyn (2008 edition available in the autumn)

2. Strange Powers of the Human Mind (Forbidden Truths) by Herbie Brennan, Faber

3. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, Black Swan,

4. I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson, Penguin

5. Guinness Book of Records 2007, Guinness (2008 edition available in the autumn)

6. 101 Things You Need To Know (And Some You Don’t) by Richard Horne, Bloomsbury

7. 101 Things To Do Before You’re Old and Boring by Richard Horne, Bloomsbury

8. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! by Robert LeRoy Ripley, Century

9. The Boys’ Book; How to be the Best at Everything by Guy McDonald, Buster Books

10. Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser, Puffin

11. How to Spot a Hadrosaur in a Bus Queue by Andy Seed, Hodder

12. How to Avoid a Wombat’s Bum by Mitchell Symons, Doubleday

13. Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze? by Mick O'Hare, Profile Books

14. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Macmillan

15. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Puffin

16. King Solomon’s Mines by H Rider Haggard, Penguin

17. Northern Lights (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman, Scholastic

18. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Bloomsbury

19. Kidnapped (adapted by) Alan Grant, Barrington Stoke

20. Treasure Island by R L Stevenson, Bloomsbury

21. The Hobbit by J RR Tolkien, HarperCollins

22. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Penguin

23. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Penguin

24. Like Father Like Son by Tony Bradman (ed), Kingfisher

25. Unreal! by Paul Jennings, Puffin

26. Flight by Kazu Kibuishi, Image Comics

27. One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix, HarperCollins

28. The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, Puffin

29. It Was A Dark and Silly Night by Art Spiegelman, HarperCollins

30. Scientific Progress Goes Boink (Calvin and Hobbes) by Bill Watterson, Time Warner

31. Talking Turkeys by Bejamin Zephaniah, Puffin

32. Arthur and the Invisibles by Luc Besson, Faber

33. The Spellgrinder’s Apprentice by N M Browne, Bloomsbury

34. The Forgotten Spell (Spellcaster Gamebooks) by Louisa Dent, Wizard Books

35. Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad) by David Eddings, Corgi

36. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, Chicken House

37. Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Bloomsbury

38. Samurai (Saint of Dragons) by Jason Hightman, HarperCollins

39. Blade of Fire (The Icemark Chronicles) by Stuart Hill, Chicken House

40. Eldest by Christopher Paolini, Corgi

41. Clash of the Sky Galleons (The Edge Chronicles) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, Doubleday

42. Bloodsong by Melvin Burgess, Puffin

43. The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer, Puffi

44. Small-Minded Giants by Oisin McGann, Corgi

45. Takedown by Graham Marks, Catnip

46. Jango (Noble Warriors) by William Nicholson, Egmont

47. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson, Headline

48. A Darkling Plain (Mortal Engines Quartet) by Philip Reeve, Scholastic

49. Storm Thief by Chris Wooding, Scholastic

50. Darkside by Tom Becker, Scholastic

51. The Spook’s Secret (Wardstone Chronicles) by Joseph Delaney, Bodley Head

52. The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven, Doubleday

53. Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Bloomsbury

54. Setting of a Cruel Sun (The Lost Souls Stories) by Alan Gibbons, Orion

55. Nightrise (Power of Five) by Anthony Horowitz, Walker

56. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, HarperCollins

57. Breathe by Cliff McNish, Orion

58. Devil for Sale by E E Richardson, Barrington Stoke

59. The Intruders by E E Richardson, Corgi

60. Blood Beast (Demonata) by Darren Shan, HarperCollins

61. Crazy Creatures (Reality Check) by Gillian Arbuthnott, Barrington Stoke

62. The Fighting Pit (Bear Kingdom) by Michael Coleman, Orchard

63. Flanimals of the Deep by Ricky Gervais

64. High Rhulain (Redwall) by Brian Jacques, Puffin

65. The Dark Portal (Deptford Mice) by Robin Jarvis, Hodder

66. Mouse Noses on Toast by Darren King, Faber

67. Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver, Orion

68. Fall 1152 (Mouse Guard) by David Petersen, Archaia (Publication due in June)

69. Nathan Fox by L Brittney, Macmillan

70. Mines of the Minotaur (Companion’s Quartet) by Julia Golding, Oxford

71. The Ship Between the Worlds by Julia Golding, Oxford

72. The Black Book of Secrets by F E Higgins, Macmillan

73. Here There be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) by James A Owen, Simon & Schuster

74. Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, Scholastic

75. Larklight by Philip Reeve, Bloomsbury

76. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, Puffin

77. Physik (Septimus Heap) by Angie Sage, Bloomsbury

78. My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick, Orion

79. Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton, Puffin

80. Ptolemy’s Gate (Bartimaeus Trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud, Corgi

81. Bloodline by Kevin Brooks, Barrington Stoke

82. Johnny Delgado Like Father Like Son by Kevin Brooks, Barrington Stoke

83. Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer, Puffin

84. Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer, Puffin

85. Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Macmillan

86. Grk and the Hot Dog Trail by Joshua Doder, Andersen Press

87. Final Lap (Traces) by Malcolm Rose, Kingfisher

88. The Crime Lord (F.E.A.R. Adventures) by Jak Shadow, Wizard Books

89. Tins by Alex Shearer, Macmillan

90. Great Britain (Jack Stalwart) by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, Red Fox

91. The Curse of the Nightwolf (Barnaby Grimes) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, Doubleday

92. Montmorency’s Revenge by Eleanor Updale, Scholastic

93. The Obsidian Dagger (Horatio Lyle) by Catherine Webb, Atom

92. The Boy who was Wanted Dead or Alive – or both (Blart) by Dominic Barker, Bloomsbury

93. Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools by Philip Cavney, Bodley Head

94. The Moomy’s Curse (Cows in Action) by Steve Cole, Red Fox

95. Toonhead by Fiona Dunbar, Orchard

96. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Bloomsbury

97. So You Think You Know the Simpsons? by Clive Gifford, Hodder

98. It’s True You Can Make Your Own Jokes by Sharon Holt, Allen & Unwin

99. Ryan’s Brain (Jiggy McCue) by Michael Lawrence, Orchard

100. Measle and the Slitherghoul (Measle Stubbs Adventures) by Ian Ogilvy, OUP

101. Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People by Dav Pilkey, Scholastic

102. Urgum the Axe Man by Kjartan Poskitt, Scholastic

103. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett, Doubleday

104. Zip’s Apollo by Philip Ridley, Puffin

105. The Great Cow Race (Bone) by Jeff Smith, Cartoon Books

106. Boy and Going Solo by Roald Dahl, Puffin

107. Once by Morris Gleitzman, Puffin

108. Crusade by Elizabeth Laird, Macmillan (Publication due in June)

109. Secrets of the Fearless by Elizabeth Laird, Macmillan

110. The Highwayman’s Footsteps by Nicola Morgan, Walker

111. Billy the Kid by Michael Morpurgo, Collins

112. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, HarperCollins

113. Rebel Cargo by James Riordan, Frances Lincoln

114. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Bodley Head

115. Divided City by Theresa Breslin, Corgi

116. Game Boy (4u2read.ok) by Alan Durant, Barrington Stoke

117. Stat Man (FYI) by Alan Durant, Barrington Stoke

118. Lady Friday (Keys to the Kingdom) by Garth Nix, HarperCollins

119. The Penalty by Mal Peet, Walker

120. Dream On by Bali Rai, Barrington Stoke

121. Goal 2: Living the Dream by Robert Rigby, Corgi

122. Agent Orange (Spy High) by A J Butcher, Atom

123. Sakkara (New Heroes) by Michael Carroll, HarperCollins

124. Jimmy Coates: Revenge by Joe Craig, HarperCollins

125. True Spy Stories (Usborne True Stories) by Paul Dowswell and Fergus Fleming, Spies (Publication due in June)

126. The Flight of the Silver Turtle by John Fardell, Faber

127. The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman, Puffin (Publication due in June)

128. Double or Die (Young Bond) by Charlie Higson, Puffin

129. Ark Angel (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz, Walker

130. Meltdown (Special Agents) by Sam Hutton, HarperCollins

131. Deep Waters (Zac Power) by H I Larry, Egmont

132. The Fall (Cherub) by Robert Muchamore, Hodder

133. Deadline by John Townsend, Barrington Stoke

134. S.T.O.R.M. by E L Young, Macmillan

135. The Hand of the Devil by Dean Vincent Carter, Corgi

136. The Aztec Code by Steve Cole, Bloomsbury

137. Bunker 10 by J A Henderson, OUP

138. Sure Fire by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards, HarperCollins (Publication due in May)

139. Bloodbones (Fighting Fantasy) by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, Wizard Books

140. Troll Blood (Troll trilogy) by Katherine Langrish, HarperCollins

141. The Beast Within (Nemesis) by Catherine Macphail, Bloomsbury

142. Avenger (Boy Soldier) by Andy McNab, Corgi

143. Operation Typhoon Shore (Guild Trilogy) by Joshua Mowll, Walker

144. Boffin Boy and the Invaders from Space (Boffin Boy) by David Orme, Ransom

145. Time Runners: Freeze Framed (Time Runners) by Justin Richards, Simon & Schuster

146. Flash Flood (Code Red Adventures) by Chris Ryan, Red Fox

147. Book the Thirteenth: The End by Lemony Snicket, Egmont

148. The Web of Fire by Steve Voake, Faber

149. Smokescreen by Bernard Ashley, Usborne

150. Mutant (Gr8reads) by Theresa Breslin, Barrington Stoke

151. Being by Kevin Brooks, Puffin

152. Billy Elliot by Melvin Burgess, Chicken House

153. The Bone Room by Anne Cassidy, Barrington Stoke

154. Moon Man by David Donohue, Egmont

155. The Road of Bones by Anne Fine, Corgi

156. The Thing with Finn by Tom Kelly, Macmillan

157. Flush by Carl Hiaasen, Corgi

158. Under the Skin by Catherine Macphail, Barrington Stoke

159. Captives by Tom Pow, Corgi

160. BurnOut by Robert Swindells, Barrington Stoke

161. Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama, Gollancz

162. Help I’m a Classroom Gambler by Pete Johnson, Corgi

163. The Paradise Plot by Natasha Narayan, Egmont

164. The Inventors by Alexander Gordon Smith, Faber

165. Tide of Terror (Vampirates) by Justin Somper, Simon & Schuster

166. Running the Risk (Shapeshifter) by Ali Sparkes, OUP

167. H.I.V.E. (Higher Institute of Villainous Education) by Mark Walden, Bloomsbury

The Milkcrate Project

Discovered while out walking T to sleep... lots of nice music created in 24 hour sessions from objects that can fit in a single milkcrate, with computer aid of course. Thanks to New Music Up Late on ABC Classic fm for the inspiration. The particular session involved in the broadcast was this one. CDs of the sessions are $5 each... guess what I will be getting myself for my birthday?!

Woolstores Urban Decay, Fremantle

070412woolstoredecay
Originally uploaded by quadrapop.

some woolstores urban decay... I can remember when this was still a working warehouse for wool exports... it's now a hangout for homeless and skaters that is being encroached upon by its gradual redevelopment into expensive apartments, across the road and railway line from a working port with fortnightly exports of live sheep...

Fremantle, Western Australia

What Women Want party

Dear Friends and Supporters of Birth Reform,

Over the past 7 years I have given my heart and soul to reforming Australia's maternity system, with particular emphasis on women being able to choose the care of a known midwife (funded).

I have met/spoken to many politicians and bureaucrats across several states.

I have watched:

Both the Federal and State Governments refuse to provide assistance to private practicing midwives, despite funding indemnity to medical practitioners to the tune of hundreds of millions.

State Labor Governments by and large be very slow or refuse to facilitate women's choice and enable midwives to practice as they are educated and registered.

The Federal Government bring in amendments to Medicare Item No 16400 that enables RN's EN's (without midwifery qualifications) and Dr's (without obstetric training) to provide antenatal care to rural and remote women (a move unprecedented in health).

And all the while our interventions escalate and in my view women's positive experiences (and the view of mothering) are diminished.

I have had hope that a federal Labor Government would work with us to bring about major reform. In recent weeks I have less hope that this will happen without considerable pressure.

To date those of us that front politicians simply appeal to their good nature (despite compelling argument). We have nothing really to bargain with.

I have thought long and hard about forming a political party.

Nervously I announce that I plan to register a political party called What Women Want to contest senate seats and key marginal seats across Australia. The main aim will be to gather media attention and as much electoral support as possible in order to pressure the major parties to achieve key election promises (ie Medicare funding for midwives).

The Australian Electoral Commission requires 500 signed up members before a party can be registered.

I ask that you look at the website and consider joining.

www.whatwomenwant.org.au

We only have a couple of months to get 500 members so if you are supportive, please JOIN SOON!

Annual membership is $15 (in order to make it accessible). This fee is not even likely to meet the costs of registering candidates for the election (unless we get thousands of members).

The website reveals a 'feel for the party' there is a lot to do. I am hoping to recruit some passionate and skilled women in the coming weeks to help build on what's there.

I am approaching you as an individual and will not be seeking the support of either Maternity Coalition or Homebirth Australia in any way. Maternity Coalition and Homebirth Australia are apolitical organisations. Maternity Coalition and Homebirth Australia are not in a position (via their constitutions) to support any political party regardless of its aims.

Please pass this on far and wide

Yours sincerely

Justine Caines

Secretary – What Women Want
PO Box 625
SCONE NSW 2329
Ph: (02) 65453612
Fax: (02)65482902
Mob: 0408 210273
E-Mail: info@whatwomenwant. org.au
www.whatwomenwant.org.au

Tacit on why he is an optimist

I have to point to this  post by Tacit on LJ... I'm enjoying reading his entries on life the universe and most things....

How to be creative

(thanks to Gapingvoid via Stilgherian...)

How's that?! I actually included the link properly from my mail client;-)