The ELTHAM Mob

An Evening with Terry Pratchett

2007-02-23T13:03:00.000+11:00

Enter Discworld, Terry Pratchett’s strange and satirical comic fantasy universe, featuring in over 40 popular books which have been adapted for television, radio, comics, film and computer games. Terry's book The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents won the Carnegie Medal in 2001. Meet one of the world’s most popular and funniest authors at this special event.

Time: Mon 12 February, 7–8.30pm

Gold coin donation to a charity nominated by Terry Pratchett

TP was in Australia for Nullus Anxietas, the Australian Discworld convention held in Melbourne. This was an opportunity too good to miss so we signed up and headed off to the State Library.

What do you know ... TP also thinks that I look like Michael Palin, Tracy was amused :)

I am now the proud owner of a signed Wintersmith, and Tracy had THUD! signed.

'A metaphor is a kind o' lie to help people understand what's true,' said Billy Bigchin, but this didn't help much.
-- WINTERSMITH, Terry Pratchett

Kira's arm

2006-11-22T10:27:00.000+11:00

It's a vascular inflammation which appears to be localised as there is no evidence of any bruising/rash anywhere else on her body, her liver, spleen, (and something else) were all fine.

The doctor rang last night to say that Kira's s blood test came back normal.

However, the kids got home from school about 4 pm yesterday and we got all excited because there was no further spreading of the bruising up the arm. Not that there was a lot of arm left for it to go up. About 1/2 hour later I noticed a red blotch on her arm below the first one (day 1). It was a bright orangey red, like a fresh bleed. About 1/2 our after that it looked the same as the previous 3.

Kira's arm looks like this (each number is the day that the blotch appeared)
-------
3 \
| 2 |
| 1 |
| 4 |
| |

Tomfoolery

2006-11-20T22:22:00.000+11:00

The outpatients were out in force tonight as the MTC presented Tomfoolery. Covering many of the favourites such as 'We will all go together when we go', 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' and 'The Elements' it was a night of humour (and questionable taste *chuckle*).

If after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worthwhile.” – Tom Lehrer

It was amazing to see that for many people the material was new! I mean most of the material was written in the 1950's and early 60's. But that didn't stop us singing along and annoying the neighbours :)

In concerts, television appearances and a series of now-classic recordings, Harvard-educated mathematics professor Tom Lehrer delighted millions of fans during the 1950s and ’60s with his dry, cynical but good-humoured attacks on the A-bomb, racism, pollution, pornography, the military, the boy scouts and, of course, mathematics.
Nothing is sacred in this hysterical celebration of Lehrer’s work, featuring such favorites as “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “When You Are Old And Grey,” “The Masochism Tango,” “The Old Dope Peddler,” “The Vatican Rag” and an unforgettable Gilbert and Sullivan-esque recitation of the table of elements, linked together with his own inimitable patter.
TOMFOOLERY rediscovers the man and songs that have delighted and skewered the world for over 40 years.

If you want to do your own homework on the lyrics have a look at Tom Lehrer Song Lyrics (With Annotations)

“You know, of all the songs I have ever sung, that is the one I've had the most requests not to.” – Tom Lehrer

The reviews in The Age and The Australian seemed to be pitching the show for an older audience, but having been known to sing the odd Lehrer tune myself, thoroughly enjoyed the set. I do wonder if the show would have fitted better into the confines of the Speigeltent?

Until next time remember ... 'Yes we all will go together when we go.'

Technorati Blog Claim

2006-10-15T20:44:00.000+10:00

A post to claim the Blog for my Technorati Profile

"Resistance Is Futile. You Will Be Assimilated!"

2005-07-20T20:38:00.000+10:00

Platypus (Tracy) has now been invested as a Joey leader. Well, she had escaped the assimilation process for 10+ years but now she 'is Scout' :)

Resistance is Futile.
(This makes for 3 couples in the Cub/Joey leaders.)

Technorati Tags:
Scouts

In stitches!

2005-07-19T20:49:00.000+10:00

Here we go again ... Liam decided to have a fall under the house whilst he and Tracy were getting the "Halloween" box out for Stuart's birthday party. After a visit to the Doctor and a trip to the hospital, Liam is the proud owner of 4 new stitches.

"I got a sticker of a yellow car with no roof that goes really fast, oh, and I got my hand fixed." -- Liam

I can hear you!

2005-07-07T20:53:00.000+10:00

Just before leaving for work yesterday I picked up a phone call from the RCH saying that they had a couple of cancellations and could we bring Liam in for afternoon surgery (Thursday).

Some quick re-org later and we had him in for day surgery this afternoon to have larger gromets installed. He went a lot better this time, perhaps knowing what to expect. The Dr said that quite a bit of fluid drained from the ears. (It probably also helped that Stuart was in for an Op and Kira also attended so there were 3 trouble makers in all.)

Once again the results are immediately observed. As Tracy says, we even had to turn down "Crash Bandicoot" because it was too loud ... hopefully the larger gromets will have a longer term success.

Kidnapped by the kids

2005-07-05T20:56:00.000+10:00

Received a phone call this morning to see if I could take the afternoon off work. The kids had decided that we *needed* to visit the zoo! So just after 1:00pm I was kidnapped by the kids to spend the afternoon at the Melbourne Zoo. Considering the time of year we had great weather and surprisingly, the zoo was not too crowded.

One yer' bike!

2005-06-05T21:04:00.000+10:00

Tracy's new bike ...

Montana - 2005
Features -
# Alloy 7005 frame with reflex geometry
# Suntour xc-60 fork 80mm
# Shimano Alivio 24spd
# Scott Comp brakes
# Alex DM-18 D-Wall rims
# IRC Serac 26x1.95 27TPI tyres

Welcome to BLOG land ?

2005-05-24T23:00:00.000+10:00

The Walrus and the Carpenter
from 'Through the Looking-glass', Lewis Carroll, 1832-1898

'The time has come,' the Walrus said,
'To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax -
Of cabbages - and kings -
And why the sea is boiling hot -
And whether pigs have wings.'

Well, it appears that the time has also come for 'The ELTHAM Mob' to venture into the Blogosphere. Perhaps the world needs to know a little more about sealing wax, cabbages and kings :)

-- DCR