Iraq, U.S. Elections, Novel and Various Events

[tcpip]

Dr Daniel Mandel, of the history of department at the University of Melbourne, made claims that the west didn't really support Saddam. The editors of The Age had the good sense to publish my reminder to him this morning.

Iraq, as we all know in el-jay land, featured highly in the U.S. mid-term elections where the results were a thumpin' for the pro-war forces and the quagmire they have put themselves into. What is also worthy of mentioning is was also the first ever election of a self-identified socialist to the U.S. senate.

My novel, The Outcast Girl, is going well although I am a little behind in the NaNaWriMo recommended wordcount. Historical fiction does have its own difficulties, especially when one is including anthropological hermeneutics. The experience is very much making me want to take another visit to Java and Bali.

Various other events of the last week include re-presenting my talk on Open Source Economics at Linux Users Victoria on Wednesday, once again dovetailing with Jon Oxer's Pragmatic Idealism presentation. On the lagamorph front, Astaroth rabbit has lost his balls but has recovered without incident. On Saturday, caseopaya and I travelled out to the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley, specifically to visit the William Rickett's sanctuary. Appropriately Joel Wright of the NTEU gave a good presentation at the Unitarians the following day on the Stolen Wages campaign.

Comments

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

It's like the recent exhibitions that the NGV has had - crowd pleasers, like the recent Picasso exhibition - nice and safe, people know his name and have been told that it's okay to like Picasso, so they all go and rave on about what a genius he was because someone conservative has told them so. I get the same feeling at the William Ricketts sancuary, people raving on about the art because someone has told them it's okay to like it. People not actually considering whether they like it or not.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I think the majority of what people get out of it is not the art as such, but the art in the location. Certainly that was my overall feeling.

Pretty place in the Hills

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

For the 'location' part, go find loudehill. If you get bored with the formal gardens and modern art, head off into the wild woods. (look for "Rangeview" under that link.) So good, Brian Froud drew a picture of it when he visited.

(Cloudehill was also the site of usuakari and tooticky's wedding.)

Re: Pretty place in the Hills

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh, pretty. And an opportunity to buy more plants.