Stars in sci-fi plot of job hunt face battle with 'robots'

Image: Enlarged section from the Blogger template thumbnails.

THE image of a robot wielding power over people's lives would have fitted nicely in a sci-fi plot just a few decades ago. That most famous spaceship commander of the 1960s, Captain Kirk, could have asked a robot to pick his crew, and millions of jaws around the world would have missed a bite or two over TV dinners. However, the 'gee whiz' is now just an echo in the airwaves of time as computer programs provide management tools that society accepts with a shrug.
ONE program even finds errors and inconsistencies in a tax return – ha, ha – and millions of Australians are itching to download the latest version of e-tax from the ATO. Computer technology offers 'yes/no' options for users of so many applications it makes some old sci-fi writers look a tad short of imagination. The scenarios may be scary. Take, for example, the case of a job applicant who spends many hours sweating over the documenting of his/her working life, only to have a computer in effect trash the resume before it even goes under human eyes.
THAT seems to be fairly common as employers and recruitment specialists often use programs to identify key words and phrases in job applications to decide the best candidates. An operator defines the criteria for the program to comb the carefully crafted text, and if it fails to pass the test the writer may as well reach for a Newstart form and see how they go with that robot. But don't give up hope. Some highly experienced writers are available to help applicants jump such a 'techno-hurdle'. Antony Leibbrandt, of Thornlands, has run a resume service in Redland City for more than a decade. IN the mid-1990s, he and his wife Lauren brought their family from Johannesburg, South Africa, where they ran retail franchises. The couple soon opened a children's specialty shop, Only Kids, at Capalaba, and now own a company, Trellidor Queensland, marketing a wide range of security-related products. Antony makes the time to help jobseekers create professional resumes and advertises his firm, A Superior Resume, in our Classifieds, also offering selection criteria counselling, interview coaching and advice on the 'hidden job market'.
ANTONY acknowledges the development of computers in application screening for qualities such as "reliability", "enthusiasm", "ambition" and a host of other desirables but he says the perfectly tailored resume goes a lot deeper. "The key words and phrases may come down to a technical level and applicants can benefit from assistance in identifying them," he says. Antony says two golden rules apply in any job hunt – always be honest and remember that first impressions are important, so practise with a family or friend before an interview and dress well on the day.
This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Community theatre sends out SOS: 'Support our songs'

Image of George Bernard Shaw courtesy of
The Daily Grime.

HE is lauded as one of the deepest 'thinkers' in world literature but even the great George Bernard Shaw might think again if he could experience the joy of some musical achievements in Redland City. The acerbic Shaw is credited with one of the sharpest barbs for aspiring musicians. He put it bluntly: "Hell is full of musical amateurs."

SHAW clearly didn't know up from down because music is always a heaven for someone, whether performer or listener. Just ask the many millions who express themselves in amateur theatre and the millions more who thoroughly enjoy hearing and watching. The applause says it all. Eat ya words, George. Amid this enormous groundswell of art from the heart you'll find people like Stephen Kay, not trying to mimic the famous achievers but studying the technicalities, creating original works and fostering others who are prepared to have a go. It's all about community, something an embittered old playwright like Shaw apparently didn't really understand.

STEPHEN is celebrating his 60th year in the Redlands. The son of a British airman turned Capalaba poultry farmer, Stephen had his first taste of the Australian rural lifestyle at Morayfield after his family migrated in 1948, via the US. His involvement in community theatre with music stems from his RAAF service as a young man in Victoria. He later worked as a company credit manager and teacher, and studied music theory to help him compose. Now 73, Stephen wrote the first of his four musicals when aged 21. Under the pseudonym of Oliver Thomas, he has also written two books of poetry, two short stories and a novel. His latest project has been to create a musical in the style of Rodgers and Hammerstein and establish a special 'repertory' group to perform it.

THE production of Mister Sunshine, including an impressive total of 18 original songs and a cast of 15, opened last weekend at the Cleveland CWA Hall. The plot centres on a retirement home where the arrival of a "special angel messenger" ends the boredom and gives a recipe for enjoying life. Now with first night jitters settled, Stephen's SOS Theatre Group is ready for two more shows, at Manly/Lota RSL Hall, Melville Terrace, Manly, at 7.30 tonight and 1.30pm tomorrow. Stephen says the acronym stands for Seniors on Stage and reflects his wish to "give seniors something to do, keep moving, keep their brains working and stave off the problems of ageing".

This column appeared in The Redland Times on May 31.

Painter laments trend to white but it's still tops in cricket

Image: Courtesy of fellow bloggers at Hue Color Consulting.

HOLD your breath and steady yourself for the coming announcement but the lid's not being lifted on anything here. In fact, the lid is going back on the can. One of Redland City's most experienced painters, Barry Short, has revealed his retirement plans. Barry is a longtime advertiser in our Trade Services section where he describes himself as "your friendly, reliable local painter". He's proud that he has been able to conduct his business totally within the Redland boundaries for the past 20 years.

A TRUE 'gentleman painter', Barry estimates he has worked on thousands of houses in the district since he moved from Sydney with his wife Linda and their sons Bradley and Mathew. His grounding in his trade came from a painting and decorating apprenticeship with the Waltham Forest Borough Council in north-east London before he and Linda married in 1967.

"We were married in March and came to Australia in June – two young people looking for adventure," he says.

WHEN the Shorts tired of the urban pressures of Bondi, they headed straight for the then Redland Shire, rented a unit then bought an Alexandra Hills home where they still live.

Although Mathew opted for a career as a chef, Bradley has followed his dad's footprints and the pair happily work together. Barry says he has seen a lot of change in his trade: "When I started it was all with oil-based enamels but now the modern acrylic paints make it so much easier and people can have fun with colours."  He still prefers what he terms 'solid' colours despite a trend to lighten shades by addition of big percentages of white.

IN FACT, he says white is so much in fashion that one manufacturer's latest colour cards display 135 different 'whites'. However, cricket whites happen to be a favourite for Barry, who played with the Alexandra Hills club some years ago and now looks forward to his former countrymen holding the Ashes in the coming series against Australia.

WHEN discussing his retirement plan and reflecting on his life, "Barry" Short has revealed his driver's licence bears a different spelling of his Christian name – it is "Bari". "My father served in the Royal Horse Artillery in World War II and after he was wounded he was taken to the Red Cross in Bari, Italy," he says. "That's why he named me 'Bari'." A painter needs to get on with the job without wasting time talking, so the solution has been to 'Australianise' his name, and all those happy clients will remember him as "Barry".

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

On the tradition of trust

Image: Times certainly have changed since this style of telephopne was the norm (courtesy fellow bloggers at MUSH Home Decor).

THE phone sounds with a smirking twist of what we formerly called a 'ring'. Once upon a time we could answer with a friendly 'Hello ...' and even end with an intimate "Have a good one". However, the chances nowadays are that a phone call brings an insult. Common scenario: The caller ID will say "overseas" or "private". The foreign accent struggles with English but the tone is friendly enough.

TWICE, I have heard that politeness change with a clear sharp edge that seems to say: "Beam me up Scotty – we've got a live one'. It was the sharpness of a predator that has found a victim. After using the phone as a tool of trade for decades, I think I'm pretty good at hearing the tones and inflections. These voices had the smell of criminal. The callers were, in fact, 'cyber criminals' pretending to represent Microsoft and warning that the company had identified my computer as infected with a virus.

MOST times I have simply said 'No thanks' and hung up but twice I played along and, with my best 'old man' shakiness', thanked them profusely, portraying trust and ignorance as they led me to the background set-ups of my computer. The first time, when the woman from 'Microsoft' had led the old man to the point of 'enter' on a string of numbers, he suddenly jumped off his mobility scooter and spoke with the hardness of Dirty Harry: "I wouldn't do that for a criminal like you. Why don't you get yourself a decent job?" She started to argue but faded into disappointment and the phone went dead.

THE second time, just before that crucial stage, I bailed out in a similar manner. He argued, insisting there was no con, but at least I had the satisfaction of 'putting one over him'. The scary bit really was the change in their voices when they hooked an apparently gullible Aussie. I do not want to denigrate anyone who has pressed 'enter' when under such direction but it's an insult to the nation that the scammers even target us.

UNFORTUNATELY, the calls reflect a long period of social change that has instilled suspicion and even fear into the phone lines. In local papers such as the Bayside Bulletin and Redland Times, we have watched the change. When we call, the voices will often be that of a friend, neighbour. a connection from your club, school or church involvement – someone's mother, daughter, father, brother ...

YOU will know where to find us. Most have long family and other cultural connections with the Redlands, some over generations. You will find us sticking with the local-paper heritage of service in providing relevant news and advertising that gets results – all based on trust. Thank you.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

History bounces out of gloom for footy club picture project

HISTORY was a dry old offering for many of us kids growing up in regional Australia as baby boomers. The mechanical accounts were about as interesting as the manuals that arrived in the household appliance flood as the consumer age dawned. Well, to be honest, the manuals were better reading. They related to our lives more than the lists of dates and names with a few colourless bridging clauses.

SOME youngsters who were mentally tough enough to 'stick it out' with the historical books were lucky, towards the end of their school life, to get some great down-to-earth historical references through the ilk of the poet of the bush, Banjo Paterson, and another classy colonial, Henry Lawson. But many had closed the books and gone fishing, or kicked a football around on a paddock down the road. The smell of cow manure on leather is a lasting memory; even 'book worms' had to rest their eyes sometimes and stamp their stops on the slipperiness.

THIS reminiscence follows my browse through Tuesday's Bayside Bulletin and its enjoyable Our History page, with content from Redland City Council Local History and Heritage Library. Ah, the old Capalaba Drive-in, a far cry from the DVDs and digital downloads of today. Twenty-odd pages further into the edition another historical project featured in the Public Notices, with Alexandra Hills Australian Football Club calling for team photos from the past. The contact was a name that has been in the Redland public eye for decades. Murray Elliott first won election to then shire council in 1997, coincidentally the final year of that bituminous paradise of film.

MURRAY has a great love of history and admits his Aussie rules career didn't get out of the paddock. But he says that early in his career as a councillor he recognised the community value of the football club in Windemere Road and became involved. For the past 12 months Murray has been the club's secretary-treasurer. He has moved to fill a big gap in the Bombers' memorabilia, between the club foundation in 1980 and the past few years. The pictures will feature in the clubhouse, for which the administration, led by president Paul Redfern, has big plans. Murray revealed he is working on an application for a gaming licence to provide revenue to support the 350-strong contingent of players.

 "WE get good crowds here for the home games – up to a couple of hundred spectators – and there were about 800 at a round robin we held," he says. Murray says the Bombers coaches – seniors and under 18s Graham Henwood and reserves Troy Beresford – have worked hard with their squads before the season opens tomorrow with home games against Aspley. The oval will be busy again on Sunday with the juniors' pre-season grading.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

It's a mean old world

Just a quick diversion from the Classifieds' selection of pest treatments ... A great struggle caught my eye today as I worked on my house. Actually, it was a great meal for this spider. Hairy caterpillar. Yum.

Drill whirs funeral hymn for data in cyberspace cemetery

Image: High-tech tool ... a beautifully composed picture from fellow blogger, Doctor Drill Bit.

A DRILLPRESS on a workbench in a Capalaba home has become a high-tech tool in the new age of fear and suspicion. The drill has a special purpose. Its sharp bit bites into computer hard drives, making them inoperable. Computing consultant Chrissy Herford has implemented the whirring conclusion on more disks than she can count. It's just one of the services of Chrissy's firm Executive IT Connections, a regular advertiser in the Computers column.

CHRISSY has found a common disregard for ensuring the data on discarded computers does not fall into the wrong hands. "Some people don't realise how dangerous it is to just throw their old computer into the garbage bin," she says. "People sometimes say to me that they don't have anything personal stored. "I ask them, 'How would you like to have pictures of your head on a donkey's bum put out there around the internet?' "When you put it like that they are not so keen to simply put it in the garbage."
SHE has been so concerned about protecting people's privacy that she invited people to leave their old computers at her home so she can hear that special sound that sends the data to the cemetery of cyberspace. Born and reared in the central western Queensland town of Morven, Chrissy developed an interest in computers more than a decade ago. She says she started learning about computers by working on her own because upgrading to new equipment was too expensive; the interest grew into a business that now services not only home computer users but also other clients including state government departments. Chrissy says she started Executive IT Connections "to bring affordable and reputable computers and repairs to executive clientele and businesses at very competitive prices".
 "I OPERATE my business from home to keep my costs down so that I can make owning a personal computer affordable for everyone," she says. "Quality is a must and I guarantee it. I only use parts that I would use myself and all parts come with warranties. "Best part of all is 'I am mobile' – I come out to you." Chrissy has a special mission to help seniors and offers them a discount. She believes many computing experts use 'geek' language when talking to seniors who prefer to plain and simple English. "I am happy to spend more time with them and be available to help them over the phone," she says.
CHRISSY says that in one recent case a widow gave away her husband's computers soon after his death then realised she wanted to write his life story. Although all his stored data was lost, Chrissy could at least supply a computer for the widow's project.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Mystery of dead cat continues: A day in the life of vet nurse

Image: Just one of a multitude of creative expressions inspired by that moustache. This one from The Little Duckling.

INVESTIGATIVE skills to match those of the fictional detective with the curly moustache, Hercule Poirot, would be needed to solve the multitude of 'cold cases' in the Lost & Found archives. Every edition of the Classifieds brings more mystery and intrigue with missing pets often the star players. However, it took a most extreme event to elevate one Redland feline to the cast, with a notice announcing "FOUND Deceased Cat ...", complete with capital letters as a mark of respect.

COMPASSIONATE veterinary nurse Clare Baker placed the notice after a woman delivered the young female tortoiseshell with a black collar to Cleveland Veterinary Clinic last week. "The lady found it in Ross Court – apparently it was hit by a car," Clare said. "It didn't have a microchip so I thought I'd advertise it so the owner could at least know what's happened to it and not need to keep searching." Clare can only wonder if the notice has allowed a grief-stricken owner to "get some closure" as no one responded. The tortoiseshell has been in cold storage awaiting a possible 'viewing'.

FROM time to time finders took dead animals to the clinic although "they are supposed to call the council" for removal from roads and streets, Clare said. While the latest delivery reflects a sombre side of a veterinary clinic soap opera, there must be a lot of joy in working so closely with the animal kingdom. And bright, loving smiles surround baby animals. The clinic sometimes accepts unwanted kittens for people wanting pets. "We desex and microchip them and give them their first vaccination," Clare said. "If they are with us for long enough, they get another vaccination. "The cost of the kitten after the three procedures is $200, which is cheaper than getting them done separately, so the owners do save some money."

CLARE enjoys her career as a veterinary nurse; she started at age 16 in North Yorkshire, England, where she was born and grew up. She came to Australia as a backpacker and worked with the RSPCA in Sydney before moving with her husband Steve to Redland City in 2006.

FOR many generations, browsing the Lost & Found notices has been one of the highlights of the "local newspaper" experience. It's free with every edition, and it really is an intriguing 'soap opera' of our lives and times, although many mysteries are never solved. Just what is the story behind that 'pelvic sling' found in Victoria Point? Sorry, I wasn't game to ask.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Missing bull terrier turns up safely but owners' fear lingers

Image from fellow bloggers who posted a breed profile saying : "Originating in England, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was bred for bull, bear, and lion baiting. The aforementioned 'blood-sports' were officially eliminated in 1835 when Britain introduced animal welfare laws. However, 'blood-sport' proponents began using this breed for organized dog fighting.

TWO days of gut-churning fear and worry ended with tears of joy this week when a playful Staffordshire bull terrier puppy returned to her Birkdale home. Six-month-old Millie was already home and safe when she starred in a Lost & Found notice in Tuesday's Bayside Bulletin. The owners – a couple and their two daughters – are mystified over how the dog escaped from the property. They are now worried about security and asked not to be identified. Julia, who placed the notice, said the dog's disappearance had made her aware of the high rate of theft of such terriers for dog fights. She said that during Millie's two-day absence she had also posted notices on internet forums including Facebook, researched media reports of dog thefts and confirmed with police that they were investigating the dog-fight claims.
A LOCAL resident found Millie but the fear that she could ever fall into the control of criminals continues to haunt the family. Neighbours reported the dog had barked and yelped late at night before a car pulled up outside the house during heavy rain and quickly had left. "We got our dog back but there are many, many owners out there whose dogs haven't been returned," Julia said. "I have been inundated with calls and emails from people who have lost their dogs. When there is a reaction like this there must be something going." She believed stolen dogs were subjected to unspeakable cruelty in fight rings and the criminals involved needed to be brought to justice.
REPORTS posted on websites about dog thefts in south-east Queensland and the fight concerns have received dozens of comments, including those of sceptics who contend that thieves target purebred dogs because of their value, not for fighting. However, Julia said she had spoken to two detectives, one in the Redcliffe district and other on the bayside, who said the possibility of the dog-fight rings was under investigation. She said a detective confirmed police were still checking claims on one forum that a woman had been driving around Mt Cotton and Redland Bay areas stealing dogs and cats and that residents had taken the registration number of her car. However, the number had not identified any culprit to date, the detective told Julia.
JULIA has put Millie into care at another address, fearing thieves may still target the dog, and was waiting for a neighbour who has security cameras to return home after a break. "We are hoping the video caught something that happened that night and the car that was reported outside our house," she said. "Just how she got out of the property I may never know."

This column has appreared in The Redland Times.

Pencils, paper make ideal way to record bayside beauty

THE tempo of the heartbeat may have increased with tantalising anticipation the other day when the word "plein" appeared in a classified notice. The discovery of a spelling mistake is always a memorable moment for the dedicated readers who, with red pen poised, comb through the fine print of newspapers, ready for a gleeful cry of "Darling, I've found another one" and then some grumbles and mumbles. But there was no mistake in the Training and Tuition notice promoting Vicki Whalan's drawing classes.

THE term "plein air" derives from the French language, and just to ensure that everyone understood Vicki published the translation "open air" in brackets. The cultural touch honours not only centuries of artistic practice but also Redland City's beautiful bayside environment. Vicki was seeking students for plein air drawing classes she will hold in the Oyster Point park every Thursday from 9.30am. "It was the first time I have advertised and I already have seven students, so I am very happy with the result," Vicki said yesterday. "The scenery around the bay is just so stunning it makes the perfect setting." The bay, in fact, was the drawcard for Vicki and husband Peter to move from Lighthouse Beach on the NSW mid-north coast to Oyster Point just under two years ago. They had visited Queensland while their son Kurt and daughter Megan studied at university and Vicki fell in love with "beautiful Moreton Bay" after they came to Cleveland for an Anzac service.

VICKI has studied not only fine arts but also training and assessment. She describes her work as figurative, representational and observational, and admires the work of the masters and some more modern practitioners such as Clarice Beckett, a Victorian hailed by the National Gallery for her "lyrical and evocative landscapes". A drawing by Vicki won the 2012 Redfest art prize and her drawings and watercolour and acrylic paintings will feature in a joint exhibition with the works of Mike Scott and Robyn Dunn in the Old Schoolhouse Gallery, opening on Friday, March 8. She says the exhibition includes her figurative studies of the human form, with some "cropping" providing close-up images.
ALTHOUGH the smell of paint and the gentle, almost inaudible sound of pencil on paper seem a long way from the taps and clicks of the computer keyboard of much modern art, Vicki says the two worlds do come together. She also uses Photoshop to see some subjects in a different light during her research. But she's happiest in the plein air and thanks Redland City Council's Michelle Wilson for assistance with her application to use the Oyster Point park.

'Braveheart of the buffet' finds kilt in family's closet

Image from fellow blogger The Bagpiper.

THE adage refers to "skeletons" in the family closet but a sibling's research found a kilt in ours. Scottish genes must be strong. Noted through history for austerity, the Scots seem to have had quite some influence over me. Thank goodness I found out before I cut open another toothpaste tube. A mate has recalled a dispute or two or three over shared restaurant bills and disparaged my mental notes on those who hogged expensive dishes (and they weren't haggis).

PLAIN packaging on supermarket shelves has been like the call of the bagpipes. And now I understand my childhood fascination with Scrooge McDuck in the Disney cartoons and why I have such deep respect for an elderly mate who buys new tyres one year before he puts them on his car.

WITHOUT actually trying the tyre method I can understand his rationale: the rubber hardens during the interim, making the tyre more durable. A tyre expert has debunked the theory, saying harder rubber would in fact wear quicker, but my mate swears by the practice. After all, he is a Scot. A recent television documentary about the highland warrior known as Braveheart topped the ratings in my household, and some predictable links are now in my web browser. It takes some courage to write that much information about the Scots is available – free – on the internet.

A US site, www.allinmyfamily.us, lists profound Scottish proverbs: A fool may earn money, but it takes a wise man to keep it; a full purse never lacks friends; never marry for money – ye'll borrow it cheaper; a penny saved is a penny gained; and money is flat and meant to be piled up. Such sentiments must explain why the change pocket on my jeans is never big enough for a coin-grabbing clinch of thumb and forefinger.

ALL this ticked over in my mind during my storm season clean-up as I waterblasted everything except the family dog and oiled every board of unpainted timber. No.1 on my conscience was the indignity over a certain retail outlet seeming to 'hide' the linseed oil that is cheaper than the specialist decking-oil products. One would think that all such products would be displayed together but I always have to hunt for the linseed oil, which is so far away I need a McGregory's directory to get back to the checkout. How does all this relate to classified advertising? Well, the Classifieds are a great place to make and save money, and today I simply acknowledge many Scots in the readership.

 This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

FOOTNOTE: A critic has commented at http://www.baysidebulletin.com.au/story/1332234/scots-not-all-scrooges/?cs=220

A walk in the wet forest, Part 2: Beauty in southern Moreton Bay

TODAY has been cloudy with bursts of rain but the sun came out and some jewels of nature radiated beauty to a world that's usually blind to their charms.
Fungi always star in such a show around my southern Moreton Bay island home but have a supporting cast.
The exhibition was enough to bring out the soft side of anyone, maybe even the family dog. So I grabbed the camera and lead to simply stroll a few hundred metres and record the following:

A walk in the wet forest, Part 1: Beauty in southern Moreton Bay

TODAY has been cloudy with bursts of rain but the sun came out and some jewels of nature radiated beauty to a world that's usually blind to their charms.

Fungi always star in such a show around my southern Moreton Bay island home but have a supporting cast.

The exhibition was enough to bring out the soft side of  anyone, maybe even the family dog. So I grabbed the camera and lead to simply stroll a few hundred metres and record the following for your enjoyment:

 

 

'They don't give you a manual' but help is freely available

Image: Lovely illustration of parenting from the blogger known as rightwaysrichard

WHENEVER a touchy topic dominates the dinnertable talk, someone will refer to a lack of much-needed documentation that could solve a problem or two. Nowadays the statement, "They don't give you a manual with one of those", often relates to a mobile phone, and manufacturers are condemned for their failure to give their customers adequate trouble-shooting tools. However, another "product" is traditionally associated with the lack of a manual, and that of course is the child. Parents generally still face up to their duties in bringing up their children with the belief that simply because the hospital didn't supply a little booklet they must navigate through the problems, all by themselves. In fact, handy tools to develop parenting skills have long been freely available, and one has featured recently in our Training and Tuition column.

SHELDON mother-of-four Diane Rooker is offering parenting courses using the respected Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) guidelines that US psychologist Dr Thomas Gordon developed more than 50 years ago. The parenting component is just one aspect of psychological theory that Dr Gordon based on effective communication. Melbourne-born Diane, her South-African-born husband Robert and their children, now aged between 11 and 20, have been Redlanders for about the past decade. She studied at The Awakening Group in Brisbane to qualify as a counsellor and followed up elements of the course to delve deeper into Dr Gordon's much-celebrated systems. "It's all about active listening and building emotional intelligence, showing children how to find solutions themselves and develop skills that can set them up for life," says Diane. "As parents we may feel we need to tell them everything when we really need to listen and allow them to speak more. "There's no yelling in the house anymore. It does come back to the values of the parent, working out who has the problem and whose needs are not being met.

"PARENTS need to work out what their values are and whether they may be in fact those of their great-grandparents and ask if they really want those same values for their child." Diane's agency name is Pearl Counselling. Her notice offers to teach parents to speak to their child so they will listen; understand their child; resolve conflict so no one loses; and help the child become emotionally intelligent. Active and empathetic listening and strategies to cope with stress are also on the list.

THE theories of Dr Gordon have benefited thousands around the world but, sorry, there's no system for the mobile phone user without the manual.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times

Smiles in, tears out as day one brings fun into education

Image from fellowblogger dearoneshealingministry

THE nervous tension that builds during the countdown to start of a new school year always puts the littlies in the spotlight. Not only mum, dad, brothers, sisters, nans, pops, uncles and aunts but often a whole stream of friends and neighbours will whisper in hushed tones: "How do you think he/she will cope?" Will there be smiles or tears on that momentous first day? Without doubt, the first day at school nowadays is less likely to involve the traumas of the past. While I recall I settled down straight away in a battered desk of a country school, a mate decided during the morning recess that he had suffered enough and headed home.

MY vision of day one will always be the plump little boy, red-faced and screaming, bear-hugging a power pole outside the school gate as a teacher tried to prise him free and carry him back to the classroom. As pupil management theories have advanced and society generally has thought a lot about the importance of a good start to education, such scenes have become rare among the happy, smiling faces. Some schools, however, have always been virtually tear free. They are places where the learning is fun, even when that scary word 'discipline' is etched into the background. Take, for instance, a ballet school such as the one Nicole Ashfield set up in the Redlands more than three decades ago. The 'first day' for the littlies there means lots of fun, jumping, skipping, hopping to music and nursery rhymes as well as having an introduction to basic positions in dance training, Nicole says.

ASHFIELD Ballet School's youngest students are just three years old, and Nicole has gained much satisfaction from seeing them grow up. She says the discipline of dance training boosts self confidence and can be a lifetime benefit. Nicole first developed her love of dance under the tuition of her mother, Avril Binzer, and has a long list of performance and education credits. Nicole's daughter, Hayley Ashfield-Predl, who also has many career credits, is her partner in Ashfield Ballet School. They employ other teachers and run junior classes in Cleveland, Alexandra Hills, Capalaba, Wellington Point, Ormiston and Thornlands, with Ashfield Ballet Studio in Moreton Bay Road, Capalaba, as the headquarters.

MANY of their students have been high achievers. The Ashfield award winners for 2012 were: Most promising junior (ballet), Lisa Verstraten; most promising junior (tap), Jaden Guerrini; most promising all-rounder, Anna Booth; overall encouragement award Kiri Morgan; most consistent effort in solos, Jordan Predl; dance excellence, Taylah Forbes; most promising contemporary, Tamara Camilleri; and Avril Binzer Classical Ballet Award, Gemma Carroll. Remember these names, which are likely to get star billing in important places in years to come.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Number games rule as Carl's accountancy mission tallies up

THE news headlines focusing on the official unemployment figures which were released yesterday are like the top of a proverbial iceberg. Nowadays, all but the keenest statistical analysts seem to simply shrug at the government count and ask: What about all the underemployment? The 'grey area' appears to reduce the credibility of many reports and of course apart from the overall national figures every area has its own labour market influences. This week, the Fairfax Media network reported authoritative economists estimating that the national unemployment rate would rise to 5.4 per cent from its current level of 5.2 per cent. While most of such attention to the labour market neglects to look past the numbers to the realities, the 'grey area' is not totally ignored.

ROY Morgan Research said 19 per cent of the nation's workforce were underemployed or in part-time jobs in 2012. This reflects across the nation in homes from which the multitude of underemployed wear out their computer keyboards seeking more work. In a family home in Paterson St, Capalaba, Carl Arganda is not even a number for most of the suited analysts on his television screen. Carl, 19, has grown up in the Redlands and graduated from Capalaba State College in 2010. His schoolmates may remember him as the flanker in the college's rugby union team and the second rower in the rugby league. Some of his teachers, however, will recall Carl's passion for figures and can be pleased he is on a mission for a career as an accountant. "I like playing with numbers and that's what I am good at, pretty much," he says.

CARL says he has written between 200 and 300 job applications since early last year, while he studied at Mt Gravatt TAFE for his Certificate IV in Bookkeeping. Casual work as an office assistant and on a Wynnum factory's product packaging, has been paying his bills and running his 1999 Mazda MX-5 coupe, which is one of his main interests. Now with a qualification and after many months of combing the job notices, Carl has tried a new tactic, advertising in The Redland Times' Positions Wanted column: "Junior accountant looking for an office job, preferably an accounting role." After several calls, Carl was optimistic this week that the ad would help him break into his career. "My aim is to get that job and get more experience," he says.

This column appeared in The Redland Times in January 2013.

Tribal artefacts take sister, brother on cultural journey

Image: From my collection of tribal artefacts, bought from garage sales.

THE great British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, or a similarly eminent personage, could make a 'doco' paddling around in the cultural streams that flow through the Classifieds. Classified advertising always offers some intriguing posts as collectors of all things great and small pursue their passions. Even without the dulcet tones of an educated Englishman, a browse through any edition is a cultural journey littered with messages from the hearts and minds of people who really 'know their stuff'.

RECENTLY I had the great experience of chatting with Beth Saussehrd, who with her brother Jonathan, recently placed 'wanted' notices for Aboriginal and Oceanic tribal artefacts. The Saussehrds grew up in the family home in Price Avenue, Birkdale, and inherited their collector genes through their mum and dad, Angela and John, who had an antique shop at New Farm. With the family now living on the Sunshine Coast, Beth enjoyed a trip down memory lane when she returned to Redland City to follow-up the responses to her notice. She says she bought several small items to add to their extensive collection of artefacts, which they started about 15 years ago; the pair has a special interest in old shields and clubs.

"ABORIGINAL shields were used importantly as weapons of defence to deflect spears boomerangs clubs etc in warfare and combat but there significance is much broader than that," Beth says. "Depending from where or what tribe an Aboriginal belonged the shields and their form varied in shape and use separate to their primary function of defence. Shields from Central Australia were used for making fire; placing the shield face down two men squatting would rub the face of the shield in a sawing motion with the bladed edge of a spear thrower until the surface glowed and began to char.

"CENTRAL Australian groups also believed that shields carried powers of divination forewarning owners of death. Painted with totemic bearing symbols they were also used in ceremony and considered necessary accoutrements in some types of ritual performances. The shields from NSW and Victoria frequently were highly carved with series of parallel undulating lines traditionally incised, using possum tooth engraving tools. The elegant form of these shields and meandering patterns really transcends the ethnographic value and can be appreciated and as standalone pieces of art in their own right."

BETH says the pair's study into the shields' origins and use has uncovered fascinating history about their owners and the former colonial owners. The search has taken them to "far-flung corners of Australia ... from rummaging through junk shops and driving dusty roads in the country visiting old outback farms". Accustomed to some arduous journeys, Jonathon was delighted to find a shield under a firewood pile in a rental house that he had just moved into, Beth says.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Moving house: A truckload of magical moments, memories

Image: Cartons and cultures - from Friends of African Village Libraries.

YUK. That's the quick way to sum up the task of moving to a new address. Now a slower way: It's a subject that everyone seems to dread and certainly would get more thumbs-down clicks than the carbon tax on an internet forum. Chaos rules when moving, no matter how much planning has gone into the 'big day'. There'll always be clashes in normally tranquil relationships as spouses wrestle with heavy objects. It's in the script: She tilts one way while he twists the other, and Newton's law jumps out of the textbooks into painful reality – gravity is fearsome.

A TABLE leg will scar a wall or door; a dent will mysteriously appear in the fridge door; the removal truck will be either early, which creates destabilising urgency and risk of panic, or late, which instills fear of blowing the schedule. A comforting thought for some: Removalists, whether 'good' or 'bad', can be blamed for just about everything that goes wrong. A mate with a truck started doing removals but gave up saying he couldn't handle misplaced blame for damage and losses, and some overbearing master-servant attitudes.
ON my last move, in the cool of the early morning before the sweating and groaning, I called aside the removalist and offsider. Their eyes rolled in agony as I began: "Now, I want you to understand the cartons contain some very important things." Feet shuffled. "I want you to take special care. One of those boxes contains my tax records and I need you to lose it." We got on fantastically after that. They welcomed me to the cabin for the trip and the driver shared personal thoughts and details, including how, as a teenager, he had climbed through the bedroom window of the girl next door in the dead of night and fathered a child. And he explained the beliefs that ruled his life in a population infiltrated by little grey alien men in human skins, pulling strings in people's lives and fiddling in their affairs.
EVERY move offers its magical moments and memories. But today, here's some serious advice: Don't throw out good gear because you run out of bags and cartons. Always get more cartons than you think you'll need, and take everything for a garage sale at your new abode. With a sore back, you'll need the money for painkillers. Removal cartons are available through our For Sale column and the Garage Sale column is the definitive guide to the Redland City bargain hunt.
This column has appeared in The Redland Times. 

Big birthday party, trip of a lifetime now just memories

Image: Steep Point, as recorded on the camera of fellow blogger Lindsay.

A BIG family and dozens of friends had a fantastic lunchtime celebration this month when Cecil Pellow, of Birkdale, turned 80.
About 50 people converged on a Raby Bay restaurant on Cecil's birthday - Sunday, November 4. Cecil came from a family with six kids who grew up in the NSW grain and sheep country at West Wyalong.
All but one of his siblings – a brother who was too sick to travel from Melbourne – were there on the big day.
Another brother, Barry, applied his photographic expertise to record the celebration but almost three weeks later, the party guests are lamenting the loss of the camera.
The party ended mid afternoon, Barry and his wife Carole caught a taxi to their Cleveland motel, only a few hundred metres from the restaurant.

ABOUT half an hour after arriving, he realised he had left the Canon camera, which has a black case, in the taxi.
He has posted a reward in the Lost & Found column saying "memory card very important" but no one has responded.
"The camera can be replaced but the memories can't," Barry said from Hervey Bay, where he and Carole are staying in a van park as their new retirement home is getting finishing touches. "The card has about 1200 pictures."
The couple, formerly from Gladstone, has been among the grey nomads for almost a year, travelling around Australia.

THE lost pictures have documented their experiences during the past six months, mainly across the Top End, south to Perth and through the outback regions – from Kununurra at the edge of the Kimberley region to Perth and back to Birdsville in Queensland's far south west.
Barry considers them the most stunning images of the couple's time on the road – especially those of the most western point of the continent.
He and Carole breathed the sweet air of the Indian Ocean as they looked over the majestic cliffs of Steep Point after a tough stretch on a rough road.

THE trip has been a dream come true for the couple. "We have looked forward to this for about 25 years," Barry says.
They were well prepared with a robust 4WD and a comfortable van.
A highlight has been meeting some "lovely friends", Barry says.
He still has a slim hope that the person who found the camera will at least post the memory card to him.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Ambition loses pace as horse breeder sadly calls it quits

Harness racing is exciting but it has lost some of its charm for John Guy (story below). This image from wikpedia is used to illustrate the sport but has no connection with issues raised in this post. Image: Pacers at the 2007 Interdominion Championships held at Globe Derby Park in South Australia (#2 Make Me Smile, #5 Dee Dees Dream, #4 Braeside Seel Star (number not visible), #1 Tactical Dreamer). #5 wears a yellow bit lifter.

THE soil under the dense urban mix of Victoria Point cannot tell its stories, but the legacy of rural heritage runs through the suburb, deeper than the bitumen and concrete.
Nowadays, most of us can only imagine the joyous scenes of a rural lifestyle in tranquil bushland and fields, with the glorious bay as a backdrop and maybe a group of kids fussing over a horse.
Some can remember. Such a scene is crystal clear in John Guy's mind. He was one of those kids.

THAT rural upbringing planted a seed of ambition that inspired John for decades; he can still hear the horse's snort, but times have changed. He moved away from his beloved Victoria Point to pursue his dream of breeding horses.
Now he's back, disappointed.
John still loves horses and says: "They'll virtually talk to you if you get close to them. They all have different personalities and if you give them attention they are quite happy to give it back to you."
But he says his love affair with breeding trotters is over.

ABOUT a decade ago, John achieved a milestone when he bought a property on the Logan River at Beaudesert with the space for breeding from a few mares. Now, the dream property sold, he's back in his trade as ceramic tiler and the disappointment shows in his voice: "I decided it is time to move along in life before it gets away from me."
John says the breeding operation became too difficult. "It's too expensive," he says. "The horse's feed is too dear, there's no money around to sell the foals at the yearling sales and the prizemoney's no good any more."

JOHN blames the government and the racing authorities, which he says have been fostering the gallopers while neglecting the pacers. The crowds at regular trot meeting are small, says a man who has given up hope of a revival in the industry: "Change? I honestly don't know how they could fix it."
Over the past few weeks, John sought help of the Classifieds as a step in winding up his breeding operation.
He sought agistment for two of his favourite mares, one of which punters may remember. Girl About Town won 11 races from her 40 starts and also ran 11 placings. The other mare is one of her fillies.
John received only one call with an offer he says was unsuitable, so he's still looking.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.