the shirt off your back

How do you take off your shirt?

My guess is, you're a girl, and you cross your arms, grab the hem of your shirt, and pull it up over your head.

Boys, though. MOST boys (not all) will drag the back of the shirt up and over the back of their heads.

Ever notice that?

PS. do NOT Google 'boy/girl take shirt off'..... just sayin'.

stylin like a gamer

Remember when it used to be not cool to be a geek?

I do.

My older kids were bullied at school, and made miserable, because they weren't 'cool'. 'Cool' apparently included failing at school (or at least not trying at all), drinking and smoking, swearing, being rude to adults, and picking on other kids.

We did what we could to eliminate the problems, ably unassisted by the schools involved for the most part, and I'm proud to say that we grew us 4 Big Kids who turned out pretty OK. Three of them waited till they turned 18 to try alcohol (major win right there) and all of them are nice, smart and funny people who I enjoy hanging with.

Our two youngest are still in primary school and things have changed a bit. Gamers are now widely accepted and have their own clique. It's now OK to be smart and being good at sport is no longer the only measure of success.

I like the gamer geek culture. Gamers are by and large pretty smart and witty, and they DO learn social skills through gaming(stoners and griefers excepted, of course).
My son and his friends play Minecraft on-line, and they have to learn netiquette or risk being kicked. They need to co-operate, form alliances, and develop some strategy sense.

Of course, as with everything, you need to provide some balance. My kids do swimming and karate twice a week, and they play with actual friends most days. We watch what they're doing on-line -- the computer is on the kitchen breakfast bar -- and we're teaching them about the dangers of creepers and bullies.

Take another look at that photo up at the top. Says it all, really.

soft vote

This story is doing the rounds on Facebook this morning, and attracting some comment from the 'mummy bloggers' who've been so callously summed and dismissed.

*****

THE government's road to electoral recovery rests with a new demographic known as "mummy bloggers", Labor MPs have been told.

And they have been urged to get on Facebook to reach this new generation of "soft" voters.

In the last caucus meeting before MPs break for winter recess, Prime Minister Julia Gillard subjected her backbench to a one-hour PowerPoint presentation on how she would restore Labor's credibility.

But many MPs were unmoved.

One senior right-wing MP said Ms Gillard told them she had a plan and "not to worry". Asked what the plan was, the MP replied: "I can't remember. I stopped listening as soon as the PowerPoint screen came down."

Another MP said Ms Gillard appeared to get "narky" as many MPs seemed to be paying little attention.

Former PM Kevin Rudd was often ridiculed for using PowerPoint presentations to rally MPs. They were surprised Ms Gillard, with her leadership under increasing pressure, would use the same format for a caucus meeting that could define the mood for the next two months.
The PM told them the key to a turnaround was "learning how to communicate". She was reported to have told them that Facebook would be vital in helping the government crystalise its achievement.

Labor Party national secretary George Wright also addressed the caucus over disastrous polling.

"There is no need to tell you that things are rugged out there," Mr Wright was reported to have said.

However, he said Labor's hopes for revival rested with so-called "mummy bloggers" -- a new social demographic that needed to be tapped as they were regarded as "a soft" vote and could be lured to Labor.

Another MP said there was a feeling of "incredulity" about the meeting.

*****

I've seen some lame attempts to pin the story on conservative journalists and I have no doubt that sooner or later, someone will claim it's Tony Abbotts' doing.

Let's not make any mistakes here. The story might be running in 'conservative' papers but the remarks were all being made by ALP MPs and the ALP national secretary.

That aside, let's think for a moment about the content.

Are mummy bloggers a soft vote? Are they so easily led that they'll follow Facebook as their political muse? Really?

In all honesty, I'd have to say that most of the bloggers I know wouldn't vote for the Coalition if they got an iPad and free internet for the rest of their lives.
Or more specifically, they wouldn't vote for Tony Abbott.

Having said that, no-one wants to be labelled in such a dismissive way. Is this man, the party secretary, telling us that we're regarded as being a bunch of sheep? that we can't and don't think for ourselves? that mummies (bloggers or no) are an easy target?
That's how it seems to me.

What are your thoughts?

Quick, catch up!

So. Let's abandon the pretense that I'm EVER going to get back to the photo-a-day thing, because I've blown it really.

This month has thrown a number of unexpected events at me, and I don't cope with the unexpected.

(Unless it involves a new iPad. Which I'm typing this on. Because my husband is awesome sauce, even without new iPads but especially so with.)

Anyway, I've had a Big Storm knock the fence down and the power out, had some bothersome health issues, and taken a trip to Melbourne.
(Melbourne is all very well as far as cities go.... But my idea of heaven is to not be able to see another light at night)

I have a good book to read (A Song of Ice and Fire) and a good game to play (Journey) -- no time for blogging!

There always seems to be plenty of time for Pinterest though, have you noticed that? I'm sure I could Pin in my sleep if I had to.

imperfect

DAY 19 -- imperfect 

 OK, hands up if you're perfect?

 Yep, just as I suspected.
There is NOT ONE PERFECT PERSON ON THIS WHOLE PLANET!
 So why do we feel the need to be perfect ourselves, and to criticise others for not being perfect?

 

There's a world of difference between 'imperfect' and 'intolerable'.
We all know people whose character traits (or lack thereof) make it impossible for us to have a relationship with them.
You can pretty much fill the the gap here ______________________ with several names, I'm sure.
But that leaves a lot of imperfect people who we could learn to love, yes?
Lots and lots of people that we could befriend, and learn from. Isn't that true?

And YOU are one of them.

No, you're not perfect -- but that doesn't mean unacceptable.

 Let's stop trying to be who we're not.

Let's just embrace imperfection.

1,2, skip a few, 29,30

OK -- I started this month with a plan to blog each day based on FatMumSlims' photo-a-day-June list.

I made it till last weekend, then we had a massive storm that knocked out our power for 2 days and since then I've not been able to pick up the rhythm again.

 BUT -- I'm back in the groove and today is
  DAY 18 -- something we don't know about you.

I had to think about this. I'm famous for inappropriate disclosure. There isn't much I haven't told SOMEONE, SOMETIME.

 However, Dear Internets, most of you haven't met me and so most likely you don't know that I have a sneezing issue.

 You see, most people sneeze at a socially acceptable sound level.
It's audible but not a problem.

 And I have had friends who sneezed like kittens.

 *tsh* *tsh*

 Tiny little kittens. Tiny little sneezes.

 Not me.
 I usually feel the sneeze coming for up to a minute beforehand, and can't think or speak coherently while it's on it's way.
I pull all the faces, hold my finger under my nose, push my tongue up on the roof of my mouth, close my eyes, open my eyes -- all the tricks.
 Then I explode with the loudest sneezes of anyone I've ever heard. It's embarrassing.

How about you? what don't we know about YOU?
 

enter here

DAY 11 -- door


Listen; there's a hell of a good universe next door: let's go.
e e cummings

There's something about a good door, isn't there?

Doors beckon to us.

They entice

and lure

and enchant,

they hint at mysteries contained within and without,

they surprise and delight.

But of all the doors I've ever seen, this is the one I'd most like to pass through.

the best bit. (So far.)

DAY 10 -- the best bit of your weekend.

You know how sometimes the ordinary can feel so special?

Right now, it's pouring with rain outside.
Inside, the house is warm and smells like heaven. There are lemonade scones baking and the kids are watching The Emperors' New Groove.
Fabio is home and happy.

Everyone is at peace.

room with a view

DAY 9 -- my view today

This is one of the very best sights in the world to me.

 

 Know why?

 Cos that big Pajero in the driveway? means my man is home.