The bits that wouldn’t fit anywhere else
Monday, 19 December, 2005
You are my favourite blog
TheTeak asked my mother-in-law to ask me whether he could link to my blog. He also said to her that my blog was his favourite blog to read! Okay, that could have just been diplomacy in the face of my mother-in-law but it made me feel all warm and fuzzy anyway. I suppose I ought to do something about my blogroll but I'm not sure what to do because I no longer use it check blogs anymore (unless they don't have RSS feeds, hence the *'s; nowadays I use BlogLines to keep up-to-date). My blogroll is also supposed to be my prayer list but that's not really working either because people keep vanishing off the face of cyberspace with little warning (If you're on there, I am praying for you. I wouldn't have put you on there if I wasn't prepared to keep the commitment). TheTeak has written an amusing post about his “forthcoming book”:
Immanual Soren Kickahume (1724—1804) who is mostly famous for the somewhat vexing remark: “I am tap-turning mule” continued to mutter something about Voltaire stealing his thoughts well after his own death in 1804. How that is possible is anybody's guess. “He's a cross dresser!” he continued (in 1905) before declaring that the current Pope had some “pretty bad halitosis.” This is an apparent untruth, the Pope's breath was fine, but he did have a bad credit rating at Bloomingdale's which may have impacted his thinking on soteriology and banking.
(Source.)
You-eh?-I
My sister-in-law, Lizz, got her UAI the other day and was so disappointed, she cried. Without being too specific, in terms of university grades, she got a Distinction which I think is pretty terrific, given what she went through to do those exams. Her actual exam results were pretty good but, because she didn't do any maths or science (all humanities subjects), she got scaled down. The fact that a girl who got a Distinction gets upset about it is proof that the system needs fixing and has needed fixing for more than ten years. Or maybe it's just the attitude of students and staff at St. George Girls High which needs fixing ...
I love my job
Today I went to work at MM. It was Guan's birthday and I had had his present all wrapped and sitting in my in-tray since going to Melbourne in July. I discovered it was fun to tease Guan; he was allowed to look at it but not touch it for six months. However, little did he know that I also got him something else (which I will promptly borrow off him when he's finished with it). I even made a pipe cleaner-feather-and-bead flower to decorate the top. If we are not all writing comics by the end of next year, we ought to be locked up in a room until we produce.
Today was the first day this month that I've made it into the office before 9 am. I spent the whole day editing and trimming articles, transforming one that was bitsy into a fairly readable piece. In addition, Tony got me to have a go at writing the “In this issue” bit for the February Briefing. He said he normally starts with something interesting, amusing and witty, and then segueways into introducing the rest of the issue. So I tried to be interesting, amusing and witty ... I wonder how much of it he'll keep.
Now that I'm spending more time in the office and Tony is foisting more work onto me and talking about the shape of next year, it's getting quite exciting. He's made me realise how much I actually enjoy editing—a task which most people think is really boring but I like the challenge of turning something half-way decent into something better-than-decent. This is so funny because I used to want to be an editor in a publishing house when I was a kid (as second fiddle to being a writer) and then I went and did work experience for McGraw Hill in Year 10, realised it was really quite tedious and pretty much gave up the idea. But it's different at MM because there's more of a point to it—I know that, through writing and editing, I'm serving the people of God's church—helping them to read their Bibles more, helping them to know God more, helping them to understand key doctrines better. Even if all I do is insert and remove commas, it's all for a purpose and that purpose has eternal implications. That is so awesome.
I was talking to a friend about my work worries last week (MM have only given me three days next year; they would love to give me four but there's the $$ thing to consider) and he asked me why I didn't just go and work in private enterprise. I told him that I love what I do and I wouldn't give it up for anything, and then I realised how true it was. But it's not just the rush I get from feeling like I'm doing something useful and worthwhile—something I'm actually good at (instead of people ministry which I'm not good at); it's also being able to interact with the Bible every day. Even editing Bible studies is really beneficial for me. Last week I spent most of my time editing Bible studies—one on Exodus and one on Luke—and God spoke to me in my sadness through his word. I was worrying again about money—about the state of our assets and our bank account, now that we've bought Hush Puppy—about what we have given up to go to Bible college (think what we could have saved if both had been on full-time income for the past three years! I know, I know ... such a materialistic way of thinking ...)—about what our income is going to be next year—about whether or not we'll ever be able to start a family, etc. etc.—and here I was reading about Israel, delivered from her Egyptian chains by the most powerful being in the universe—the one who sent plagues of frogs, gnats and locusts upon Egypt—the one who led the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry land—the one who destroyed their enemies without them even having to draw a sword—the one who fed them (day by day so they had to really depend on him because he only gave enough for that day) and quenched their thirst in the middle of the desert and made sure their clothes and their sandals never wore out (Deut 29:5). Switch over to Luke where Jesus also brought down the bread (manna) from heaven, feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish (Luke 9), saying,
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
(Luke 9:23-26)
—who rebuked his followers for not believing in him (the one who healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead)—the one who taught his disciples to pray, “Give us each day our daily bread” and said,
Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within, “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything”? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
(Luke 11:5-13)
—who told the parable of the rich fool who decided to store up his riches in his barns so he could “relax, eat, drink, be merry” but dies that very night, and concluded the story by saying, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God,” (Luke 12:13-21)—the one who, after all of this, said,
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Luke 12:22-34)
—and I had to acknowledge that my great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will always be able to look after our needs (for aren't we of more value than the birds?)—he will always be able to clothe us with splendour like the lilies and he will always be able to feed us and quench our thirst, like the ravens who don't sow or reap or keep storehouses or barns, “and yet God feeds them.” And so, I was able to say with the Psalmist,
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.(Psalm 104:24-30)
I love my job.
Keep that muzzle off the ox
So tonight I have, at last, finalised our giving for next year. It took a bit of reshuffling as some of my friends are finishing up MTS and some of my friends are starting MTS. (We try to make it a priority to sponsor our friends who are doing MTS because we know how hard it can be and also because we want them to support them in every way as they do it because the harvest field needs more harvesters [Matt 9:37-38]). For the first time ever we've now been able to divert some of our funds towards the Church Missionary Society—missionaries from which I have been praying for for the last three or four years but I never put my money where my prayers were. I felt bad not to be supporting overseas mission while supporting mission back at home so it feels good to be able to do it for once. As Mike Raiter said, if you can afford to do it, why not financially support the spread of the gospel at home and abroad, as well as the cause of social justice at the same time?
Educational testing
It is so strange filling in course surveys in a theological institution:
This unit of study benefited my relationship with God.
(Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree)
This unit of study helped develop my ability to serve in God's name.
(Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree)
Mostly quiet on the Centrelink front
After Friday's spate of job applications, I received this email back from Katoomba Christian Convention:
Thank you for your application for the Office Secretary position at KCC, and for outlining your situation. As you indicated, your employment situation means that there is no point in taking your application any further.
I don't think he sounds too annoyed, do you?
How could would it be if I could supplement MM work with CASE next year! How cool indeed ...
I'm not boring you, am I?
Over dinner this evening Panther told me how much she was enjoying my Canadian travelogue. She was surprised when I told her that other people find such things deadly dull. So it's good to get a balanced picture about what you blog readers out there are thinking. Remember you can always use the comment boxes to drop me a line; I don't always respond but I always read them.
A word a day
mogigraphia: Writer's cramp.
[From Greek mogis (with difficulty) + graph (writing).]
Tennis players have their elbows, athletes have their feet, so what do writers get? They get their cramps. Mogigraphia is a fancy name for a writer's cramp. Advanced writers go for a block. For the ultimate, we recommend carpal tunnel syndrome. A synonym of mogigraphia is graphospasm.
(Source.)
Current:
seen: Moon 15/10/2009
read: The Incredibles 11/10/2009
seen: She's the Man 05/10/2009
read: I Kill Giants (Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura) 04/10/2009
read: Astro City The Dark Ages Book 1: Brothers and Other Strangers (Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross) 04/10/2009
seen: Children of Men 02/10/2009
seen: Metric (The Metro) 30/09/2009
seen: 500 Days of Summer 25/09/2009
seen: The September Issue 18/09/2009
seen: Gilmore Girls: Season 1 17/09/2009
read: Flight (Volume 1) (edited by Kazu Kibuishi) 16/09/2009
seen: Ponyo 11/09/2009
read: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert) 05/09/2009
heard: Aimee Mann (Enmore Theatre) 04/09/2009
heard: Ben Folds Solo (Opera House) 31/08/2009
read: Phonogram: Rue Britannia (Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie) 26/08/2009
seen: Northanger Abbey 20/08/2009
read: The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot) 18/08/2009
seen: The Phantom of the Opera 17/08/2009
seen: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 10/08/2009
seen: District 9 10/08/2009
read: Shortcomings (Adrian Tomine) 02/08/2009
read: AIR Volume 1: Letters from Lost Countries (Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker) 28/07/2009
seen: Persepolis 25/07/2009
seen: Ghost Town 25/07/2009
heard: Gutter Twins (Seymour Centre) 23/07/2009
seen: Coco Avant Chanel 20/07/2009
seen: Gutenberg! The Musical (Seymour Centre) 16/07/2009
seen: So You Think You Can Dance? Australia Live Tour (Sydney Entertainment Centre) 11/07/2009
seen: Every Little Step 07/07/2009
seen: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen 03/07/2009
seen: Synecdoche, New York 30/06/2009
seen: Charlie's Angels 27/06/2009
seen: Penelope 26/06/2009
seen: Coraline 10/06/2009
seen: The Sky Crawlers 08/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Ultimatum 07/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Supremacy 07/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Identity 06/06/2009
seen: Stick it 05/06/2009
Comment:
Hi Karen,
Congratulations on Astrid’s birth.
A quick tip that we learned when we became parents and my wife was breastfeeding (don’t you love tips from strangers 
):
Instead of writing down which side to feed on next, stick a hairclip, or peg on your bra strap on the side they will next feed from. Then swap it over when you feed.
Then you never have to remember, and you don’t need to worry about writing it down.
That is indeed an epic post! Brings back a lot of memories of Puff’s first weeks.
As far as how long until Astrid hits 16kgs, you can read it off the graphs in her blue book. I would guess somewhere between 2 and 3 years old.
Hi Karen - yes! But we’re finished at Moore now and living back in Tassie so it’s unlikely. I enjoy still enjoy reading though, hope you don’t mind!
@Miriam - I had a very fast labour too (lets just say it was quite a bit quicker than 4 hours) and I almost felt embarrassed telling people! I’d never imagined I’d be one of ‘those’ women. Still, friends who’ve had longer labours followed by shorter labours assured me it’s the same amount of pain, just squeezed into a shorter time span so I try not to feel too bad 
Congratulations Karen & Ben. What a beautiful daughter. Thanks for sharing your birth story - sounds almost identical to mine, except my labour was only 4 hours! My midwife also told me not to share it at mothers group as people would be jealous hehe
Enjoy this wonderful time getting to know Astrid.
Miriam
Thanks everyone!
Wow, Bron, I still can’t believe I haven’t met you yet! Thanks for continuing to read this blog!
Little Rachel, now I’m intrigued!!!
It’s so funny reading your labour experience. It’s so funny she came out when you were standing up and the midwife had to catch her. Wow! I will remember to go through your blog more carefully when my time comes around. It’s very informative.
Congratulations to you all and many blessings. Astrid is a little sweetie.
Congratulations Karen and Ben. A gorgeous girl with a gorgeous name. Praise God!
Thanks for sharing your story.
Congrats, Karen! She looks wonderful, so alert and adorable! Glad that everything went so smoothly (comparatively).
Well, one of your details clears up a conversation Jess and Anna and Liza and I had! I’ll tell you later.
I think you and Ben did amazingly well, and that the staff were right: you were pretty tough! I will have to give all those exercises a go when that time comes.
Yay for Astrid! Such a beautiful name for a precious daughter.
Hello! Thanks for sharing. It sounded tough and bewildering! Can I come and visit sometime? Tonight or tomorrow night? I’m away for the next 4 days after that. Love George
Congratulations! Astrid Winter is a gorgeous name. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story. It’s interesting to hear from other women. Now I’m expecting my second I’m starting to think about all that again. Eeeeek!
RPA is very busy, apparently they’re at 3 times capacity for the area. When we were there last year the night my daughter was born there were something like 8 births in 45 minutes. As soon as I’d had a shower we had to be out of there! I remember being rather surprised at having to walk up to the post-natal ward. “you want me to what?!”
I don’t think it’s exclusively the change of temperature: young babies like to be cuddled up (or wrapped in a blanket or similar) as they adjust to being on the outside after so long being wrapped up on the inside.
Oh yeah, it makes perfect sense that babies would cry if you put them in a cold bed! I totally never thought of that!
I love your posts, they are so fascinating! :D
Oh Jess! There are so many good things about Sydney
Looks like really nice adventures! I don’t really think of Sydney as a place to explore.. hmm.. you have opened my mind up to The Staycation.
I get depressed at the adrenaline crash also because then I have time to think about how shitty everything is lol.
Hmm...food for thought indeed. V. interesting, thank you for posting
lol! Karen, you’re so frank and I love it. “the non-constipating kind” of iron pills. hahaha.
i know how hard it is to not tell people the sex of your baby. I am tempted to tell strangers or acquaintances what you’re having because, as Ben reasoned with the waiter, I’ll either never see them again or it’s not like their going to tell anyone of consequence.
Thanks Kathleen! Glad you’re finding them interesting!
These posts are fascinating, Karen, and I’m happy/sad for you.
Hey Little! One of the things that astounds me is that people all over the world give birth everyday in different circumstances, and they seem to get through it. Maybe all the bells and whistles of the western world are simply that—bells and whistles, and things we do to make ourselves feel better about such a painful and momentous occurrence. I’m sure Mongolia has its own ways of looking after their expectant mums!
Great post, Karen.
As I said to you last Friday: the Toturo thing is gorgeous!
Thanks for posting about the changing relationships between friends. I’ve been struggling to come to terms with my best friend’s relationship with her boyfriend and the loss I feel. It’s been 18mths now, but I guess it’s taking longer for me to deal with because he’s not something we talk about and I don’t often see them together. However, it’s still known. It’s good to know I’m not alone or going crazy or whatever.
Also, thanks for the updates on Peanut. Can’t wait to meet him/her!
I think that your child will one day be thankful that they can read about what their mother was thinking. They won’t have to wonder if you’ve forgotten anything or just telling the good things! I think the positives are more believable when accompanied by the negatives, that’s just more realistic.
The PGP sounds really hard! Also not something that people talk about, so is it hard to get understanding from people when you need to go a little slower? Though perhaps they just expect that of pregnant women… gah, there are so many steps at MM! :(
I worry about the money stuff too… though I guess in Mongolia maybe they won’t do all those medical things so I won’t have to pay for them! 
Keep blogging! You know I’m fascinated. ;p
Thanks Miriam! That’s good to know!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the long update. It sounds like you are experiencing very common emotions (high and low) of first-time expectant mothers.
In answer to your question about breastfeeding in 5mins - that’s pretty common. In the first few weeks as both you and baby are learning how to feed (it takes a while to get the hang of it)feeding takes a little while (about an hour for me and Alex). This was actually a blessing for me as it meant I could sit and rest for that period of time, 5 or 6 times a day! Lovely, especially as it was such a tiring time of my life, with all the adjusting that comes with the birth of a child.
The milk flow can be quite fast to begin with(often too fast for baby!) and it means they take in too much and then need to be burped, which all takes time. After awhile though your breasts will adjust and regulate themselves as they work out how much milk is needed. THey are amazing the way they work. They actually feel quite soft and empty after a few weeks and lots of new mums worry that they don’t hvae enough milk, but it is very normal, and just means your body has regulated the amount of milk it makes.
Check out the Australian Breastfeeding Association webpage - it is full of excellent information. I would recommend joining the association - you receive a magazine every 2 months, which is filled with wonderful articles. I found it very helpful (and still do after 3 years of feeding). A great bit of reading to have in your hands while sitting down to feed. You also receive an excellent book “Breastfeeding....naturally” which answers just about any question you may have about breastfeeding. I read it many many times!
Mim
Congratulations again - and it is very interesting to hear what happens!
@Sarah: Thanks for the tip RE Australian Breastfeeding Association! I never would have thought to look there. Ditto KMart: I was wondering if they did since Target don’t.
@Rae: Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out.
@Little Rachel: Oh, I’ll definitely be up for visitors! I may not be very good company (brain-dead, etc.) but I’ll certainly appreciate visits!
@Rachel C: CONGRATS!!! So excited for you Yours sounds like a good philosophy. One day I shall have to blog about Outliers!
@CafeDave: Thanks for the tip!
@Elissa: Thanks for your kind words! It makes me happy that you and Dave were excited we were getting married! Thanks also for the prayers!
@Elsie: There are lots of other lovely things I could have said about you, but let’s not overload my readers, shall we? ;P
Aww...thanks for the lovely things you said about me! I enjoyed reading this post (as I do with all yours). xo
Congratulations to you both. I know you will be such wonderful parents. You sound WAY too sensible! 
(Sorry to read that there were some unusual comments made about your marriage! We thought it was exciting. We still have a lovely photo of you & Ben in our lovely box of special memories. (I was only 22 when married & I was 30 when we had Bonnie...)
Everyone is different! I nodded through your post. SO many people feel the curious need to share their “horror stories” which is just dreadful. I remember complaining to David who said - go find people who are positive & listen to them. Great advice, which I did. Those people still have a big place in my heart because their advice was honest & gentle.
Bless you & Ben & the little Peanut. We pray all goes smoothly over the coming weeks/months ahead. We sometimes forget what a precious little miracle life really is…
Another book from the dad’s perspective I found helpful was From here to paternity - it’s an Australian book, and was followed up with a blog.
Hi!
I’m so excited for you reading your blog about being pregnant I am 13 weeks pregnant with #2.
You’re so right about all the pessimism “advice” that you get. I got so mad about it but never found a good response. I’ve had such joy right from day one with E that I just don’t want to buy into the negativity (I’m sure kids pick up on it too!).
My philosophy was/is to be a relaxed mum and from that figure out what was best for my baby/child. Get advice when you’re not sure on things or want to know how other people approached things, read books (loved Outliers!) that aren’t all about parenting… but just enjoy.
In a sample size of one to date, I’ve had such a happy, chilled out son right from day one. People say all the craziest advice… glad you don’t do guilt
With love,
R
Thanks so much for writing more! I love hearing how you’re going and all your thoughts.
After watching my sister I agree with you that it seems the first six months are perhaps the hardest. She got quite lonely at home all day; weekends were all right because then her husband was around but it’s just as you say… one feed ends then the next begins! If you are accepting visitors during this period then I hope to use some RDOs to come have grown-up conversations!
The book review of The Second Nine Months makes me want to read it now!
Names: We have one girl name that we both like and no boy names that we agree on. But they are also top-secret… so if anyone else uses them we can’t accuse them of theft!
Yay Peanut, keep on growing, can’t wait to meet you!
Hello! Thanks for sharing
I loved reading your pregnancy update! I am glad to hear that things are all going pretty well, and I hope the rest of your 2nd trimester is as good.
I just wanted to add, that some other blokes decided that there was not much for the fathers-t0-be, and made a couple of DVD’s just for expectant dads. They are called ‘Being Dad’and i think they are available at big W. I have both though, if you would like me to send them!
Just wanted to wish you all the best!
Love
Rae
re: gluten: no idea!! I didn’t have to go on that diet - it was probably related to the test I didn’t do.
At the risk of adding to your list of advice:
Re: maternity bras - because I’m big I had to look hard for something nice in my size and discovered the Australian Breastfeeding Association. They have a massive range online and most are (dare I say it) sexy.
Re: maternity clothes - Kmart have a nice range of basic stuff.. I only found out towards the end of pregnancy and I would have liked to know earlier!
Re: Parenting classes - if you’re at RPA you can just ring the midwives section (they’ll put you through) and ask directly.
Congratulations again
Don’t laminate your ultrasound picture That is my advice.
Congratulations! This is so fantastic!
Thanks so much for sharing all of this… people swap engagement stories but rarely pregnancy stories! And it’s kind of similar don’t you think, all this excitement leading up to a big day!
So happy for you guys! Actually never been more excited for anyone except my sister! I think it’s because I think that you will both be amazing parents and love the idea that someone could grow up in your family.
Looking forward to many more posts on the topic.
Blinks:
"For a long time, I was waiting for my life to go back to normal," he said. "And then I realized, this is my life. So this is my normal."
How to make wontons.
Short-sleeved cardigan with lace edging.
Interesting answer.
"We pick out people who have the same kind of unhappiness we do. And we gravitate toward them and try to help them.
"Many of us are like this. Every time we try to help someone else and fail, it feels weird. It feels bad. We do not know exactly what is going on but it is upsetting.
"Until one day we realize that what we are doing is avoiding our own pain. We have learned to act as though it is not our pain that is at issue, but other people's."
Cleaning tips for all sorts of things. White vinegar is apparently wonderful!
The case for print.
"Laura Miller has argued eloquently in Salon about reading on the iPad as a serene experience, a sanctuary from the link-surfing that dominates so much of what we read online. And yet, I know what having an iPod has done to my attention span and ability to sit through an entire album, in order, by one artist ... and I'll be damned if I let the same thing happen to the way I read. Out of every argument I've heard in favor of e-readers ... my least favorite might be the central point of the thing: the fact that it allows you to choose from thousands of books at any given time. I simply don't want that kind of potential for distraction ...
"For me, to deny books their physical structure simply ignores far too much of what makes them enjoyable. The commitment they require, the way they force you into a state of simultaneous calm and focus—these are things I have yet to duplicate by any other means."
Something to do with leftover wool. Makes good toys!
The reasons behind the creation of the 4 am news slot. Interesting how lifestyle fuels these sorts of cultural changes.
Via Elsie. Consumer addiction used to distract or cover for emotional emptiness/loss/grief, etc.
A parenting philosophy to introduce media to children late and slowly.
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Comments
Karen, that is awesome that you are enjoying your job so much. Clearly that is your vocation. It is a gift from God and you should praise Him for it! I agree - you should not give it up for anything…
If MM can only give you 3 days, then perhaps look for some casual work for the other 2. Even if its waiting tables or pulling beers.
You might also be able to set yourself up to do some freelance editing and other secretarial work. You couldn’t do it because of exams this year, but if we need transcribing done again we would certainly consider you first. The lady I got to do it (NetSecretary) just runs her business online out of Adelaide, and she seems to have quite a few clients.
And I wonder how many churches could benefit from some sort of service you could offer? Actually, I rather suspect many preachers would like a typed transcript of their favourite sermons. Or perhaps you could help them put together their annual reports and other documents…
Anyway, keep pushing forward and looking for opportunities. I am sure God will open up doors for you…
Hey Karen!
About the whole UAI thing and selective school mentality…
From a selective school myself, I was preparing myself for the worst when the UAIs came out because I didn’t study that well, and when I got over a particular mark I was SO ESTATIC(sp?)!
But! After I started comparing marks with everyone else from my school, I cried cos I realised I could have done so much better…
I’m not sure what my point is!! (as per usual....)
re: the why do people read your blog thing - I think I’m just addicted.
I like reading the theological bits, I like reading the travel bits, I like reading the shopping lists and present ideas. I like clicking the knitting links to see how un-talented I am! Reading your blog is like reading a free, much more intelligent than the average magazine that has everything from fashion and cooking tips to feature articles. Yup, I’m addicted!
Also, re: the UAI thing, my little sister Samara just got her UAI too. She also only did humanities subjects (Drama, Art, Mod History, Advanced English, Extensions English, and something else I can never remember!!). She did great in her exams, everything in the seventies and eighties, but her UAI was in the sixties. She didn’t even want to look at all because she’s sooooo sick of the Dept of Ed/parent/greater societies rhetoric that the UAI is the summation of your academic performance through 13 years of schooling. I agree with her. There is no way to assess that accurately or adequately. All the UAI can tell us is whether your subjects fit an algorithm that gives a few highschool maths teachers leery smiles as they feed small children into one end and have it spit out a number at the other.
Fortunately though, Samara isn’t going to university first, she’s going to Cornerstone. I’m sure she would have been really really really upset with her mark if she had applied to Uni…
Wow! Thanks, Jo!
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