relationships

Boring consumerism

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I took the tigling and some of her friends for a cinema and pizza outing yesterday to celebrate the tigling’s birthday. That was fine, lots of fun, actually. But because of the weather we had to stay inside the mall… Read More ›

Thugs on DVD

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After yesterday’s initial outrage, prepare for more from today’s story: Students who knew members of the gang involved in the DVD said some were unapologetic and had laughed at the public outrage. Year 9 students at Werribee Secondary College said… Read More ›

Ugly

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That’s the only word for some of the recent spats in what were previously some of my favourite corners of cyberspace. First there were the feminister-than-thou wars about lipstick and marriage (see Pandagon and Feministe), then there were the pseudonymity… Read More ›

It’s gone

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Last week I wrote this: if you’ve still got this catalogue online next week I’ll be amazed I just checked. The pictures from their Summer 2006 catalogue are not online anymore. I hesitate to automatically assume that it was because… Read More ›

An outrageous claim!

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That is the reaction of Australian retailers to a think-tank report which argues that the way they advertise and stock inappropriately sexualised clothing for young children amounts to corporate paedophilia. The report focussed on the growing “tween” market segment for… Read More ›

Public schools not challenging enough?

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In all the angst about education, the Literature Wars and the History Wars and is public education running down beyond hope, I find this excerpt from my son’s state high school newsletter encouraging.

These are the research projects chosen by the 6 students doing Extension History for their HSC this year:

    Does the evidence from the ancient town of Pompeii support that it was built for the wealthy?
    Explain the philosophies of Michel Foucault and their impact on the development of Post-Modernism
    Assess the effects of Gorbachev’s reforms on the collapse of the USSR
    Evaluate the differing interpretations of the causes of Alexander the Great’s death.
    Does History end with Liberal Democracy?
    What are the differing interpretations of the 1951 seventeen point agreement?
    What are the objectives of historians who have written about the Holocaust?

Growing Up Different: Temple Grandin’s experiences with autism (and mine)

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The whole article speaks to me about my experiences raising my autistic son, but this section especially:

AUTISTIC TACTILE PROBLEMS

I pulled away when people tried to hug me, because being touched sent an overwhelming tidal wave of stimulation through my body. I wanted to feel the comforting feeling of being held, but then when somebody held me, the effect on my nervous system was overwhelming.

Small itches and scratches that most people ignored were torture. A scratchy petticoat was like sandpaper rubbing my skin raw.

Opinions from strangers

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I’m finding the various drive-by parenting “concerns” about Bindi Irwin interesting following her speech at her father’s memorial service. Oh, the pressure’s too much, she’s too poised (must be in denial, how sad), blah blah blah.

None of us know her, or the family, just because they’re on TV. Her upbringing has been entirely different from the way any of us are bringing up our kids because of the wildlife warrior