tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14067834139342732942024-03-14T14:48:29.270+11:00TaccolaTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.comBlogger450125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-51594906157847015932015-06-09T18:32:00.002+10:002015-06-09T18:43:39.134+10:00The not-quite Lost Trades Fair ShowreelIt was a great day out this past March, and we're looking forward to the next show, as are the organisers.<br />
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Here's their short showreel.Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-11723680545085633122014-10-05T21:40:00.006+11:002014-10-06T10:36:55.050+11:00Post AMazed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"And now the party's over..."Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-24373994577077843232014-06-20T23:23:00.000+10:002014-06-20T23:23:48.062+10:00Big family next door<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0">We
were taking a stroll, but left the neighbouring mob alone, as they
seemed to be having a great time ~ young and old. How may can you see?</span><br />
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" tabindex="0"><br /></span>Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-19802751613246749832014-06-08T15:21:00.001+10:002014-06-08T15:21:12.790+10:00"Time Gentlemen, Please!" A good precept I like for the student of history is "everything you know is wrong". It's more often true than you'd think, I find, in that even relatively solid areas of knowledge often have greater layers than you'd expect. One example is time. We are all educated in understanding and using time, but often unthinking of some of the more remarkable aspects of it (we use it in in base 60) and unaware of how different it has been throughout history to how we understand it.<br />
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For instance, the 'wrist sundial' is a perennial trope in cartoons and humour, but as seen in this illustration from <i>History Today</i>, something like it did really exist.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Time's shadow: ivory pocket sundial by Hans Troeschel, Germany, 1592. AKG Images/De Agostini Picture Library</i></span></div>
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This post was inspired by an excellent short article from <i>History Today</i>, <a href="http://www.historytoday.com/mathew-lyons/search-lost-time" target="_blank">here</a> which has fascinating details different to another excellent podcast here from 'In Our Time' on the BBC - <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dvw6t" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.historytoday.com/mathew-lyons/search-lost-time" target="_blank">History Today Link</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dvw6t" target="_blank">BBC In Our Time Link</a><br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-79944793495788700462013-10-01T13:02:00.000+10:002013-10-01T13:02:38.409+10:00It's Very WindyHow windy? Very.<br />
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In fact this windy. The rain gauge as an anemometer.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-70071604502061643302013-08-05T08:48:00.001+10:002013-08-05T16:42:55.977+10:00WinterIt's been cold and windy here. When the rain isn't lashing, then the wind's howling. We've been all cosy indoors. Well, mostly.<br />
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This is a drawing done for a challenge called Drawing August. The deal is to draw something (anything) every day for amonth. to keep the impetus going, you've got to post and date a drawing each day. It's happening over on Twitter, just search for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DrawingAugust&src=typd" target="_blank">#DrawingAugust</a>.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Here's my day 3 winter cosy. Awww.</span></div>
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Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-86171177628844212162013-07-10T21:21:00.000+10:002013-07-10T21:26:38.339+10:00Let's start with one Pom down - Again<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P9E_gJjdyag/SlSAe_hd8iI/AAAAAAAACRU/_ZL8WBuT2iM/s1600-h/cricket-ball-on-grass.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356047126786601506" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P9E_gJjdyag/SlSAe_hd8iI/AAAAAAAACRU/_ZL8WBuT2iM/s320/cricket-ball-on-grass.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
The Ashes are back, some light (currently Nottinghamshire) sunshine in a particularly cold Melbourne winter, and the inimitable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Blofeld">Blowers</a> & co of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/tms/6672845.stm">TMS</a> on the radio. But that's all that's the same as <a href="http://taccola.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/lets-start-with-one-pom-down.html" target="_blank">2009</a>. <br />
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We've got one Pommie wicket (Cooked the Cookie... a valuable one, but all the early wickets are) but it has to be said that all the smart money's on England, and the team, which is strong, is unusually surrounded by a resurgent British sporting context with well deserved victories an a remarkable array of international sports, a state of affairs I can't remember having a precedent in decades. It may have started with London (and Britain's) magnificent hosting of the most recent Olympics, something the UK should really take great credit for.<br />
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First drinks, but we don't get the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_Forecast" target="_blank">Shipping Forecast</a>. No "... Malin, Hebredies..."<br />
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In 2009 I asked ' The tough question is, as ever, whether I can find someone to venture five quid on England.' Delighted to get a $10 onto Australia with our best new Australian from Essex, Sally. I reckon she's got a good chance at my cash, but as well as Australian victory, I'd mostly like a close, great series. <br />
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There's a new round of missing faces, and the picture below is now definitely regarded as 'history' by the commentators. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P9E_gJjdyag/SlSAFwqJfJI/AAAAAAAACRM/E8S3vHo7p1o/s1600-h/Ashes.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356046693299747986" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P9E_gJjdyag/SlSAFwqJfJI/AAAAAAAACRM/E8S3vHo7p1o/s320/Ashes.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 285px;" /></a><br />
It's nice to realise you can remember some of the best cricket in its history. Will this be another great series? The great thing about the ashes is <i>you never really know</i>.<br />
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So let's hop back to 2009. "We have five Tests of five days in Wales and England to look forward to. And in the fine tradition of the game, anything <a href="http://www.lords.org/latest-news/news-archive/dead-sparrow-set-to-fly-from-lords,778,NS.html">might</a> happen, and much of it probably <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOVei8iTyM8" target="_blank">will</a>. It is certain that it will, however, finish in my old home ground of Surrey's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval">Oval</a>. Among other games I recall seeing Australia give away the last Test to England after a victorious series, and being there as Black Sarf London demonstrated the stupidity of Tebbet's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_test">Cricket Test</a> as they celebrated the Windies' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisden_Trophy#1984.E2.80.9386_.22Blackwash.22_series">Blackwash</a> - one of the nosiest and most intense days I can remember, including fast-jet time...<br />
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The Windies in their pomp were something to see, a machine which still echoes to today, but impressive as <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/332987.html">Big Bird</a> was, there's nothing like the Ashes, right down to one of the most quixotic trophies - that actually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes">isn't</a>."<br />
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Remember, there's other sport stuff, and then there's The Ashes.<br />
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James<br />
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<span style="font-size: 78%;"><i>This post might not make sense if you don't speak cricket. A more comprehensible intro <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/8125504.stm">here</a> from the BBC.</i></span>Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-59483399171992985932013-07-07T20:47:00.000+10:002013-07-07T20:47:28.277+10:00Kongwak Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The market, held every Sunday, in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongwak,_Victoria" target="_blank">Kongwak</a>, Gippsland (it's not even really a village, since the dairy closed) and is we're told, very popular, and it was full of people - none of whom are in this post. This is a shot of the shed's roof and wall.<br />
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Door. The Newport's the UK one.<br />
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Sort of essential, now not.<br />
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The Comet racer, heading into shadow-cloud...<br />
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Assemblage 1.<br />
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I like the idea of a slow motion slide button... On an Elmo 8mm projector.<br />
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Assemblage 2.<br />
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Fonts and missing bits.<br />
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Not for dusting the dairy.<br />
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Colonised gutter.<br />
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Yet now the whole building is heading to waste.<br />
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Used to be a filling station outside the general store.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-22347987517358463392013-05-25T22:49:00.001+10:002013-05-25T22:49:59.316+10:00Misery is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...a dog in a bath. At least it was warm.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-90985442624178749122013-05-01T17:22:00.000+10:002013-05-01T17:31:16.072+10:00Space! The flight's delayed...I really like the latest* cover of the <i>New Yorker</i>.<br />
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I like the slightly retro look and feel, but what makes it special is the juxtaposition of the spaceport outside (Kids! It's the future!) and the all-too-familiar airport lounge (Kids! Stop running around!**) the two separated by the humongous architect's windows. <br />
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They can make big windows in the airport, but the 'planes are still late. What do you think space travel will become like? Mundane, just like air travel did.<br />
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The facts are the image is Luke Pearson's 'Now Boarding', details and background on the <i>New Yorker's</i> website <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/04/cover-story-luke-pearson.html#slide_ss_0=1" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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James<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*Latest here - that's two issues ago to New Yorkers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">**To be fair, while the kids are running in the pic, there's no conflict pictured in the lounge. I just projected that.</span>Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-51009868811219233852013-04-28T18:06:00.000+10:002013-04-28T18:06:44.050+10:00Still life with pumpkin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes the composition occurs naturally, over time. Winter is coming, the pumpkins are now inside.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-59761590455807169802013-03-08T11:36:00.000+11:002013-03-08T11:36:13.352+11:00Rustique Winders<br />
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A local view with high dynamic range (HDR) and filter.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-22533781090156810362013-02-12T20:03:00.003+11:002013-02-12T20:06:10.797+11:00Spotted in Tokyo<br />
>>Warning: this post is rich with deliberately misunderstood cultural signifiers. >><br />
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One of the delights of Tokyo was puzzling out the meaning of the various signs we saw around us.<br />
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Or not.<br />
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It's so easy to find your hotel when it's right behind the red billboard for SUPER MILLION HAIR. (You have to yell the words like you're on Wheel of Fortune, okay.)<br />
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Could it be, no, wait, no misunderstanding here. Eddie, don't tell me, is plaid suddenly all the rage in Tokyo?<br />
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Hello! I appear to have green hair and a stem on my head. I am very happy here with my friend the slightly bashful ninja turd. Together we will teach children the joys... of... nature...<br />
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While the stationmaster retrieves her hat, the innocent school girl takes the opportunity to begin transforming into a blood-sucking zombie.<br />
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(We're kidding okay?)<br />
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<br />Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-51173919284009961632013-02-03T11:15:00.002+11:002013-02-03T11:35:24.829+11:00Street food Tokyo<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wYvc9CQsudQ/UQ2ptvIIBsI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/0vxE7ZxpdDY/s640/blogger-image--659410860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wYvc9CQsudQ/UQ2ptvIIBsI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/0vxE7ZxpdDY/s640/blogger-image--659410860.jpg" /></a><br />
Street food was one of the delights of our short time in Tokyo over New Year.<br />
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I have to admit to having found the prospect pretty intimidating - with all of six words of Japanese and none that I can read (except exit - that's 'doublebarbequetongs and a box') -- I wasn't sure how on earth I was going to find anything I liked or know what it is?<br />
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Over the course of four days, we learned to follow our noses. There were all sorts of hings, from brightly-coloured sweets to fish-on-sticks. It's not hard to give things a try -- delicious!<br />
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I loved the colour, smells and sounds as well as the happy drifting crowds. I'd go back in a shot. <br />
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They start young.<br />
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Of course you know this is a seafood stall even if you don't speak the language...<br />
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This fascinated us the most. A pile of charcoal in the middle and these whole fish on sticks around, constantly being turned until beautifully crisp.<br />
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Hot plate happiness.</div>
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Measuring out the ingredients into piles, each one then turned and cooked together on the hot plate. A popular stall!<br />
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Pink things and green things, frozen things too.<br />
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Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-52071378494706261102013-02-01T22:37:00.001+11:002013-02-03T11:21:34.881+11:00Playing with mirrorsAt the Myer art deco ballroom, some months ago.<br />
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Because, what's a ballroom without mirrors in which to admire the scene (and your hair)? <br />
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Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-40362282744763233192013-01-30T22:32:00.000+11:002013-01-30T22:39:38.908+11:0024 Hours In Tokyo<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By now you might have heard that we were lucky enough to get a couple of visits to Tokyo on our way to and from Canada. Our first visit worked out at almost exactly 24 hours: a late afternoon arrival from Australia and a departure to Canada 24 hours later. We had a great time, and this blog post is a very abbreviated selection of some highlights, some of which are very much from wide-eyed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin" target="_blank">gaijin</a>, while others are our thoughts as we compare this trip to other travels and experiences. 24 hours - here we go!</div>
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Tokyo's international airport has this real-time road traffic map. Neato, as it lights up based on congestion on main routes. Undoubtedly adopted from a Bond villain's world-domination toolkit. Conquering Tokyo should be quick today...</div>
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As your <i><a href="http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/" target="_blank">Friendly Airport Limousine</a></i> bus leaves, the staff see it off, bow. We were impressed at how often in Japan there were <b>people</b> doing things that neded to be done, rather than service gaps or automation. In the land of robots, the people-focused customer service was something we noticed everywhere.</div>
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We liked the sign! Clearly 'Super Million Hair' has a much stronger positive connotation in Japanese; however it was useful, too. Look for the large red billboard and the hotel's right behind. (Bev: And a chorus of 'Super Million Hair!' rang out as the weary walkers found their way home. I am sure the locals thought we were Weird Tourists. But it was fun.)<br />
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We were staying in Shinjuku -- famous as the neon-sign centre. Liked the multi-story pea restaurant sign, didn't try it, though we were getting desperate! (Bev here; I thought all of Tokyo would be all neon, all the time. Kinda like Bladerunner. Silly me. T'aint so. But this little bit was fun-fair Saturday night especially when viewed through jetlag... we hit the street to see what we could see.)<br />
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Very interesting shop sign; the pastiche of the Leica logo, and the date of 1940. (Think back to your history classes, kids.)<br />
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After a couple of failures, we found a great place to eat on the 7th floor of Shinjuku station. Here's the fed traveller. (And don't I look knackered? I had just successfully negotiated, on 2 hours of sleep plus jet lag, purchasing two very delicious <a href="http://norecipes.com/blog/tonkatsu-recipe/" target="_blank">tonkatsu</a> dinners with a vocabulary of about six Japanese words. And it was delicious!) <br />
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We thought the plastic food at the cowboy eatery nearby was interesting, but not attractive. (Gahhhh.)<br />
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Our hotel (the <a href="http://www.hotelsunrouteplazashinjuku.jp/en/" target="_blank">Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku</a> - recommended) had a mascot of a koala. Ahhh. (And the staff were almost as sweet. No, no irony, this was the most helpful hotel I have ever stayed in.)<br />
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Two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba#Cultivation_and_uses" target="_blank">gingko</a> leaves. The gingko leaf is the symbol for Tokyo, later I spotted the simplified leaf as an arc design integral to some railings. <br />
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The following morning we were off out of Shinjuku Station, two stops to...</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshita_Street" target="_blank">Takeshita Street</a>, where (much later in the day) the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion" target="_blank">lolitas</a> hang out. But we weren't there for that, we were after a place with...<br />
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... some pretty impressive lamp standards (we'll have two on the gate to our gaff, please).<br />
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... Barrels and barrels of sake...<br />
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... and barrels and barrels of burgundy...<br />
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Plus a scaffolding arrangement (which will reappear in a future blog post). (Bev: yes, we even debated what this might be. 'Ritual purposes', any Time Team fans?)<br />
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Yes, our objective was the <a href="http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/" target="_blank">Meiji Jingu</a> Shinto Shrine.</div>
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Before entering, it is appropriate to cleanse by washing hands and mouth, at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dzuya" target="_blank">Temizuya</a>, which we did...</div>
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Noting it's a common tourist photo op, according to the couple beyond us!<br />
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It is a beautiful place however one relates (or doesn't) to the religion or concept of spirituality. We really enjoyed the craftsmanship of wood in Japan, here in the wooden bamboo ladles at the Temizuya, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">Torii gates</a> and the buildings. (Bev: This place was one of the reasons I wanted to go to Japan in the first place. Studying art history all those years ago and looking at the Japanese architecture, a real curiosity was sparked. Being there was a privilege and I will never forget its serenity and great beauty, set in a huge forest.)<br />
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One of the main activities at the shrine is weddings. Having been snapped by Japanese tourists when we were at a Scottish regimental wedding in Edinburgh, we enjoyed (with many others) returning the favour in Tokyo. It was fascinating...</div>
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In hindsight, what was most intriguing was the mix of familiar routines (the wedding photos, the processing about, with family in tow) and roles (proud father, and the variety of family members) in an alien (to us) context and with very different outfits. (Bev: We felt we knew some of the context but missed whole chunks of the social and significant meaning. Which is essentially what it is to be a traveller, isn't it? Standing on the outside, wondering and curious. For me that can be a position of great happiness as it brings back some of the mystery and wonder at the real diversity of our world.)<br />
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Most interesting was the bride's outfit. (Bev must find out more... Look for later blog post.)<br />
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(We wish them the best. Bella fortuna!)<br />
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We really liked the use of and care for wood in Japan, with the shrine being a particular highlight.<br />
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Bev: I kept feeling like we could fall through a gate in time.<br />
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Fabulous finery for the wedding party guests.<br />
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Oops, there's that gate in time again.<br />
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We liked the juxtaposition of 'traditional' and 'modern' in checking your phone while in a kimono. (Bev: But look how quiet it is, and how peaceful. The buildings are all in such perfect proportion.)<br />
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One of the obvious aspects of Japanese and other eastern architecture is the use of curves, rarely seen in similar contexts in the west. Here emphasised by the wide-angle lens.<br />
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The popular thing to do in the younger set was collecting acorns, even in your best uniform or kinder-kimono</div>
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I liked the gnarled roots, like old knuckles with their fingers in course sand.</div>
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The park's sweepers were using the long, balanced <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besom" target="_blank">besoms</a> and lifting the leaves off the gravel (if you don't think that's a neat trick, you try it). Their buckets and trolley were all beautifully made wooden construction too.</div>
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(Bev: Ginko leaves and winter sunlight. Butter yellow black and slate. You can almost smell the earthy loam.)<br />
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(Bev: Aaaand... no, it's not Roots Canada, it's some sort of Wild West drinks machine, check out Mr Cowboy at the top. Yee-haw.)<br />
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(And the tourists, you know, they take photos of manholecovers n stuff?!)<br />
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(Like photographing their lunch - what's with that? Actually, this was photographed with a sense of pride, as the difficult task of negotiating finding food became easier. I was motivated by the certainty that there is amazing food out there and I will just have to find the right places and negotiate the language barrier to get to try it!)<br />
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Sake bottles behind the bar. </div>
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This is an excited quilter at <a href="http://www.okadaya.co.jp/" target="_blank">Okadaya</a>. (Bev: Okay, so of course I did some research into the fabric shops all quilters and dressmakers go nuts about. Because of course we know that Japanese fabric can be Really Good Stuff. This shop looked unpreposessing but seemed to get the most 'squweeeeee!' reviews from quilters. It was worth hunting for in the confusing alleys behind Shinjuku station, and I did score some few meters of Japanese fabric I would never find elsewhere. Stay tuned for photos of the first apron I have made with some of this gorgeous, heavy weight, beautifully milled cotton.)<br />
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While Bev rummaged among the <i>sevenfloorso'fabric</i>, I strolled around the local area...<br />
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...including this violin shop where a young member of the family was getting fitted for a violin.<br />
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(Bev: Back in the fabric shop, James and I had one of those travellers' conversations, whispering in consternation; 'what if they only take cash?' -An amazing number of places in Tokyo don't do credit cards. How shall I ask? So I approach the till trepidatiously, say my one phrase, 'sumi ma sen?' pointing to the symbol on my visa card. Big smiles, yes, yes, you crazy western fabric addict, we will take your credit card... All was well, bows and smiles all around.)<br />
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After extracting Bev, credit card and a reasonable number of bags of fabric, we strolled a bit further and we glanced in to a game-room where two kids were beating out the rhythm.<br />
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Then it was time for <a href="http://shinjuku.tokyu-hands.co.jp/en/index.html" target="_blank">Tokyu Hands</a>! Department store heaven.<br />
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This is a shop for all those things you didn't know existed, but suddenly really, really, <i>have</i> to have. Like penguin paperclips. Being just before Christmas, it was fourteen floors of flat out.<br />
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Calligraphy brushes.<br />
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We had to get to the airport so we had FIFTEEN minutes in Tokyu Hands and then it was whoosh, back to friendly hotel and whoosh, onto friendly bus...<br />
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As good tourists do, we saw some other things on the coach ride to the airport. One was a solar powered petrol (gas) station. You either find that odd, or you don't.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8LpUwhY85pc/UPuofb62VSI/AAAAAAAAD-M/1FmYHC-zy8A/s1600/48Tokyo_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8LpUwhY85pc/UPuofb62VSI/AAAAAAAAD-M/1FmYHC-zy8A/s320/48Tokyo_2632.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a driving school looking nothing so much as like one of those kids playmats (or a certain nephew's quilt).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FlvjpKfZuCI/UPuogKEt2EI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/F6HmrNYQSsk/s1600/49Tokyo_2752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FlvjpKfZuCI/UPuogKEt2EI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/F6HmrNYQSsk/s320/49Tokyo_2752.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the airport, last minute gift opportunities were seized gently but firmly by the hand. (And one of those, and one of those, and one of those... Chris, Pam, Mel, these are your gifts in their natural habitat.) </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAqF57oM5HQ/UPuoeDlTDtI/AAAAAAAAD-E/jQHXhkKgtBQ/s1600/50Tokyo_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAqF57oM5HQ/UPuoeDlTDtI/AAAAAAAAD-E/jQHXhkKgtBQ/s320/50Tokyo_2758.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="238" /></a></div>
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And flying out. In the departure lounge we were able to re-hydrate very nicely. Not every airline has their own soft drink. Japan Air Lines (JAL) do, and we very much liked it; it's a citrus drink, like a lemonade, but with a citrus fruit, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_depressa" target="_blank">Shīkwāsā</a>, from the Okinawa prefecture. Of course 'Sky Time' echoes a certain attempt to make an advert from the film <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Translation_(film)" target="_blank">Lost in Translation</a></i> - We toasted each other, like Bill Murray - '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_saLrADKqNM" target="_blank">Suntori Time</a>'. Cheers!<br />
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James & BevTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-53437924204898927722013-01-25T22:40:00.000+11:002013-01-25T22:40:18.022+11:00Meiji New YearOne of the highlights (and there were many) of out trip to Japan was getting to the <a href="http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/" target="_blank">Meiji Shrine</a> at midnight of new year. And here's the pic to prove it!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRp2tZ8kAN4/UQJt-1jVSSI/AAAAAAAAEGY/uuuTL4n8Z40/s1600/MidnightAtMeijiJNY_0382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRp2tZ8kAN4/UQJt-1jVSSI/AAAAAAAAEGY/uuuTL4n8Z40/s320/MidnightAtMeijiJNY_0382.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a big crowd, but friendly, and it was one of those all too rare unforgettable experiences. Having read that three million people go through the shrine in the first three days of the new year meant we didn't expect to be among the first to actually go through the Tori Gates soon after midnight, but we were.<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-2256934547017537092013-01-18T22:46:00.000+11:002013-01-18T22:47:43.684+11:00There & Back AgainIt's been quiet here.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqjeSZry92w/UPk0zlz-q9I/AAAAAAAAD7E/IUyREfQn8y8/s1600/CrunchyGrass3053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqjeSZry92w/UPk0zlz-q9I/AAAAAAAAD7E/IUyREfQn8y8/s320/CrunchyGrass3053.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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But we're back. I noticed on our return that the crisp all-too-bushfire ready grass made the same crunchy noise at +35 degrees as the snow in Canada did at -2 degrees*.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlkUHmjwsu0/UPk0zKnMr8I/AAAAAAAAD7A/2_7GaegL7Sc/s1600/CrunchySnow5416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlkUHmjwsu0/UPk0zKnMr8I/AAAAAAAAD7A/2_7GaegL7Sc/s320/CrunchySnow5416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We'll get a few blog posts together of some of the many highlights and fun things we got to see and do on our Christmas and New Year extravaganza over the next few days and weeks, so check back and please let us know you're stopping by!<br />
<br />
James<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">( * For those still stuck using Fahrenheit, that's 'really hot' and 'just below freezing' - or 308.15 and 271.15 Kelvin.)</span></i>Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-84631503373668290062012-12-27T17:44:00.000+11:002012-12-27T17:44:46.730+11:00Sad SnowmanSomeone very Christmassy<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_6lrLKFVnsk/UNvtRGt3z-I/AAAAAAAAD5s/eTkcwdcU2AU/s1600/Snowman_2819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_6lrLKFVnsk/UNvtRGt3z-I/AAAAAAAAD5s/eTkcwdcU2AU/s320/Snowman_2819.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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But he's obviously expecting the thaw already.Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-16221962402234681672012-12-13T20:41:00.002+11:002012-12-13T20:42:29.780+11:00Beware the Canadian Lego PeopleThose of us that have recently purchased an item from the Lego Store in Canada have been greeted with the following image. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHPrgEyH4OA/UMmhl6btMDI/AAAAAAAAD3A/2gEPSmcC13I/s1600/ScaryLegoCheckout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHPrgEyH4OA/UMmhl6btMDI/AAAAAAAAD3A/2gEPSmcC13I/s400/ScaryLegoCheckout.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm presuming that the lumberjack-shirted and beaver-hatted 'Kel'(?) is specific to the Canadian market. (He also needs a shave. A kid's toy that needs a <i>shave</i>?) <br />
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Horrifying though he and his <i>mademoiselle</i> are, one dreads to think what the Australian or British equivalents might be...<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-18252329988976595322012-12-05T18:08:00.001+11:002012-12-05T18:08:56.181+11:00Real 'Girl Power' <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/marie_curie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/marie_curie.png" width="192" /></a></div>
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As ever, xkcd.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie" target="_blank">Marie Curie</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lise_Meitner" target="_blank">Lise Meitner</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether" target="_blank">Emmy Noether</a><br />
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Without women like these we'd be all the poorer.<br />
JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-37603834616676160482012-11-25T22:25:00.001+11:002012-11-28T15:36:29.814+11:00Exams! With Guns!But wait, there's <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/vce-authorities-apologise-for-phantom-robot-20121119-29lbl.html" target="_blank">more</a> (journalists) piling in on the VCE exam SNAFU seen first <a href="http://taccola.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/enhanced-history-exam.html" target="_blank">here</a>, with a great quote:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yarra Valley Grammar student Shannon Dowling assumed she had not studied hard enough when she saw the robot. "I went through a thought process something like this, 'What's that thing? It's definitely a robot. But it's on my history exam, so it's not a robot. But it can't be anything else. LOOK AT THOSE GUNS!' I stared at the image long and hard. It was extremely off-putting because you just don't expect there to be a mistake on your exam, especially one like that."</blockquote>
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Yes, Shannon. I'm with, like, let's ask for people who can set the exam to the standard they mark it to, eh? (Obviously after the '<i>look</i> at those <i>guns</i>!' thought, of course.) But don't worry:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
New guidelines governing the use of internet-sourced material in exams will also be issued after an altered version of the artwork <em>Storming the Winter Palace</em> by Nikolai Kochergin appeared in the VCE History: Revolutions exam.</blockquote>
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Or "That was embarrassing. Can we not do that again next year? There's bound to be journalists on us if we manage a <i>third year running</i> foul-up"...<br />
<br />
James<br />
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<br />Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-89837519532753641842012-11-15T12:28:00.000+11:002012-11-25T22:29:36.317+11:00Enhanced History ExamQuite rightly, we all like to be able to laugh at the exam compilers whenever the rare chance eventuates. Today we can share a particularly enjoyable example of an exam-board failure, thanks to <i><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/history-transformed-in-vce-exam-20121114-29ce7.html#ixzz2CFQt0OTU" target="_blank">The Age</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHAL_GWTt9g/UKRCF0Mqq3I/AAAAAAAADzM/nHCcUxhfTNA/s1600/1_art-TRANSFORMER3-620x349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHAL_GWTt9g/UKRCF0Mqq3I/AAAAAAAADzM/nHCcUxhfTNA/s320/1_art-TRANSFORMER3-620x349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is </i>not<i> the correct image, grabbed by a VCAA drone off the interwebz rather than sourced properly.</i></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"THE VCE exam body has been left red faced after a doctored artwork depicting a huge robot helping socialist revolutionaries during the Russian Revolution was accidentally included in this year’s year 12 history exam taken by 5700 students.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1rucn8hJXoo/UKRCHC_CzXI/AAAAAAAADzU/JPdqrbtfvpM/s1600/art-353-TRANSFORMER1-300x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1rucn8hJXoo/UKRCHC_CzXI/AAAAAAAADzU/JPdqrbtfvpM/s1600/art-353-TRANSFORMER1-300x0.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> This is the correct image.</span></i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>"Storming the Winter palace on 25th October 1917</em> by Nikolai Kochergin, which depicts events during the October Revolution, which was instrumental in the larger Russian Revolution of 1917.<br />
But when students opened their exam this morning they found an altered version of the work with what appear to be a large "BattleTech Marauder" robot aiding the rising revolutionaries in the background.<br />
...<br />
"A spokesman for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) said the image was 'sourced and acknowledged by the VCAA as coming from the Internet'.<br />
'The image has been altered but the alteration of the image won’t impact on the students’ capacity to answer the examination question,' he said.<br />
'The VCAA will monitor students' answers to ensure that any student who has been distracted by the image will not be disadvantaged.'</blockquote>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIz3eneI5KM/UKRCIVLhf4I/AAAAAAAADzY/ZT5cZ1EKH0I/s1600/art-353-TRANSFORMER2-300x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIz3eneI5KM/UKRCIVLhf4I/AAAAAAAADzY/ZT5cZ1EKH0I/s320/art-353-TRANSFORMER2-300x0.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i> This is NOT history. It is 'A BattleTech Marauder' - you know, made up.</i></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It is the second year running that the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has been embarrassed by problems in its end of year exam papers.<br />
Last year popular columnist Helen Razer accused the VCE exam body of plagiarism and breach of copyright after the English exam featured on tattoos by the Melbourne writer without her permission or acknowledging she was the author."</blockquote>
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Tut tut tut... Hey kids, don't lift stuff from random websites for your work, and use 'impact' sparingly. Just like the VCAA.</div>
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James<br />
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EDIT: '<a href="http://taccola.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/exams-with-guns.html" target="_blank">But Wait, There's More!</a>'</div>
Taccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-68196691954740528762012-11-07T18:54:00.000+11:002012-11-07T18:56:17.624+11:00You're *not* the centre of the universe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/terminology.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/terminology.png" width="320" /></a></div>
From the great xkcd, puzzled that an older civilisation would have got naming rights for much of the world, and understandably puzzled by using relative locations.<br />
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(And for those in the northern hemisphere, please also learn 'north' does not = 'up'.)<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406783413934273294.post-48026771408449026182012-11-06T16:22:00.000+11:002012-11-06T16:23:25.020+11:00Fab! Fabbri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXUV6P4BF2Q/UJb-ydDJRVI/AAAAAAAADyk/JNz_iAyKu58/s1600/Amarena_2410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXUV6P4BF2Q/UJb-ydDJRVI/AAAAAAAADyk/JNz_iAyKu58/s320/Amarena_2410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They're back (at the Mediterranean Wholesalers - see <a href="http://taccola.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/visit-to-mediterranean-wholesalers.html" target="_blank">here</a>) so we snagged some. We weren't able to go home in a Fabbri truck, seen on the Boston food website <a href="http://www.sceneboston.com/2009/07/fabbri-over-a-century-of-italian-tradition/" target="_blank">here</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqAZdMPqpUQ/UJibrvtd3wI/AAAAAAAADy4/p-usRbCFqR8/s1600/Fabbri_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqAZdMPqpUQ/UJibrvtd3wI/AAAAAAAADy4/p-usRbCFqR8/s320/Fabbri_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But we found some fascinating Fabbri history <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Cherry-on-Top" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amarenafabbri.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, the latter being the official website, which has a range of <i>remarkable</i> period advertising <a href="http://www.fabbri1905.com/en/480/fabbri-tv" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sn4KslNOrZc" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Better than roses, pearls? But of course!<br />
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JamesTaccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00757885479373544173noreply@blogger.com0