Hoyden about Town » Lauredhel

Otterday! And Open Thread.

Lauredhel — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:00:52 +0000

This weekend’s open thread is hosted by two river otters. The first was shared by photographer khyri on flickr:

The second, shared by ChiPhilly on flickr, is hoeing into a fish:

Please feel free to use this thread to natter about anything your heart desires. Is there anything great happening in your life? Anything you want to get off your chest? Reading a good book (or a bad one)? Anything in the news that you’d like to discuss? What have you created lately? Commiserations, felicitations, temptations, contemplations, speculations?

Otterday! And Open Thread.

Lauredhel — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:31 +0000

Today, a pair of otters herald your weekend. These were taken at the Cincinnati Zoo by Mark Dumont, who shared his photos on flickr.

Otterday! And Open Thread.

Lauredhel — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:00:47 +0000

Today’s Open Thread is hosted by this wee pup, shared on flickr by Hamish Irvine.

Otterday! And Open Thread.

Lauredhel — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:00:58 +0000

Today’s Open Thread is hosted by all of these delightful otters.

[by Ferenc Ol?h on flickr]

[by Rusty Clark on flickr]

[by Han N on flickr]

And, if you haven’t had your fill of otters yet, check out these drawings at bluebison.net (via Chally).

Otterday! And Open Thread

Lauredhel — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:16 +0000

Welcome to Otterday! Today’s open thread is hosted by two otters via The Daily Otter and Otterhaus. This little otter is looking for someone to share her play-fort.

And these otters look plumb tuckered out.

Otterday! And Open Thread

Lauredhel — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:33 +0000

Welcome to Otterday! Today’s open thread is hosted by these Oriental Short-Clawed Otterdays, snapped by Vicki Burton at the London Zoo and shared on flickr.

National Cultural Policy launched

Lauredhel — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:43:19 +0000

Yesterday, the Minister for the Arts unveiled Australia’s new National Cultural Policy. There’s unfortunately no transcript for the launch audio at our national broadcaster, but you can read about it at Creative Australia. The intro and core goals:

Creative Australia, the Australian Government’s 2013 national cultural policy, celebrates Australia’s strong, diverse and inclusive culture. It describes the essential role arts and culture play in the life of every Australian and how creativity is central to Australia’s economic and social success: a creative nation is a productive nation.

Creative Australia has five equally important and linked goals at its core:

* Recognise, respect and celebrate the centrality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to the uniqueness of Australian identity.

* Ensure that government support reflects the diversity of Australia and that all citizens, wherever they live, whatever their background or circumstances, have a right to shape our cultural identity and its expression.

* Support excellence and the special role of artists and their creative collaborators as the source of original work and ideas, including telling Australian stories.

* Strengthen the capacity of the cultural sector to contribute to national life, community wellbeing and the economy.

* Ensure Australian creativity thrives in the digitally enabled 21st century, by supporting innovation, the development of new creative content, knowledge and creative industries.

ArtsHub has a practical summary of the policy here: What will the National Cultural Policy mean for you?

I think the two things I”m most happy about, at a first glance, are the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander centrality, and the cementing of a comprehensive arts education into schools, though this is going to need some sort of funding commitment.

What I’d like added is for every school child to also be able to choose to learn a musical instrument, at least for a certain length of time. I’ve never understood why that’s an out-of-pocket extra. (Mind you, at my child’s public school, dance – done in class groups and in school time – is also an out-of-pocket affair, as is swimming.)

And, of course, there’s the issue that the impending Liberal Federal government may well bleed all the life out of this policy. (After the WA election, I’m feeling pretty blue about all things electoral…)

What do you think of this cultural policy, and of arts education? What’s going on with arts ed in your local public schools?

Otterday! And Open Thread (recovered)

Lauredhel — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:00:16 +0000

This is a recovered copy of a post lost in our server meltdown. Sadly we don’t have the comments.

Welcome to Otterday! Today’s open thread is hosted by this little pink-tongued otter, shared by Christopher Lane Photography on flickr.

Otterday! And Open Thread

Lauredhel — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:00:29 +0000

Welcome to Otterday! Today’s open thread is hosted by this otter at the British Wildlife Centre, courtesy of Derbyshire Wildlife Photography.

Otterday! And Open Thread

Lauredhel — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:27 +0000

Welcome to Otterday! Today’s open thread is hosted by this Wildark Pforzheim otter rolling in the snow, courtesy of Cloudtail on flickr.

And for a bonus – this National Geographic photo essay on Britain’s endangered otters, The Sultans of Streams. I love these play-fighting otter youngsters.