Another week of catch up pics

Artificial Venus Fly Trap plant - almost as impressive
as a real one. 23 November 2009.


Miniature magnetic Spider-Man toy climbing my filing cabinet. 24 November 2009.


Closeup on bathroom tiles, complete with vanity cupboard door bumper. 25 November 2009.


Closeup up detail on on my Spider-Man shirt. 26 November 2009.


A plastic ant vanishes into a hole to help to recreate
the Aesop's fable, "The Grasshopper and the ant". 27 November 2009.


Third rescue for the day. A yellow and black beetle retrieved from
the backyard swimming pool filter. 28 November 2009.


Closeup on dragon statuary. 29 November 2009.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

'Tis the day for compliments. A little Kinder kid told me I looked pretty today (I was wearing my infamous "Spider-man" shirt), and two more kids from school just saw me heading home and announced they wished it was Monday already.

"Why...?" I asked (a little bewildered, because this was barely the start of a well-earned weekend).

"Because that's our library day and you're our library teacher!"



And, in acknowledgement of today's date:

'Allo Vera - and her three new offspring. My photo of the day. A little something for peace and renewal on the anniversary of a day that changed the world and will never be forgotten.

This plant is the fourth aloe vera to inhabit this pot since the "shoestring renovations" of my school library, but certainly the most successful (the previous occupants have since recovered after a return to less neglectful circumstances). This week Vera showed off her triplets, much to the excitement of my observant, pint-size borrowers at the charging desk.

I'm too funky for this shirt

Today, I attended my first district meeting of teacher-librarians (in nine years) at a high school. Several senior students from the host school were waiting in the car park for the attendees to arrive. As I approached my enthusiastic guide, she expressed her frustration. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be looking for!" she complained jovially, as several other adults could be seen moving towards the main building.

"We're all teacher-librarians..." I mentioned helpfully. "Do you think we look like teacher-librarians?"

"Not really," she said.

"You mean I don't look like a teacher-librarian either?"

"Oh, not at all!" she exclaimed. "With that shirt, you look more like a funky history teacher!"


FUNKY!

Andorians old and new - and Spider-man, too

I'm still attempting to do some housework, but I keep finding things with which to play "Show and Tell".

I recently discovered that "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" made its own curious guest appearance in a 1980 issue of Amazing Spider-Man #203. Spider-Man's alter-ego, Peter Parker, and his friends were excited about going to see the premiere of ST:TMP (itself a Marvel cross-promotion at the time, since Marvel was doing the tie-in comic based on ST:TMP). As soon as the Klingon ships began to fire torpedoes, the supervillain du jour sends an energy blast right through the movie screen...

"Amazing Spider-Man" #203, 1980

Cool, eh?

I regularly get to add new Andorians to my Star Trek Rogues' Gallery of Andorians pages, but if they are in novels, there aren't usually any new portraits to share. A few months ago, a Japanese-influenced graphic novel anthology, Star Trek: The Manga: Shinsei Shinsei (2006), included an Andorian (and other aliens), who'd been seemingly assimilated by proto Borg (below, left). The story is "Side Effects" by Chris Dows, illustrated by Makoto Nakatsuka.



An earlier comic - a parody this time by Peter David & Richard Howell and illustrated by John Heebink & Jim Mooney - is Soulsearchers and Company (1995), issue #15. I recently ordered this (previously unknown) title from the amazing online comic seller, Mile High Comics. In "To Boldly Search", David & Howell's regulars end up on a studio set of the fictitious Cosmic Convoy: Venturer, a starship very like the USS Voyager. Many of the actors resemble "Voyager" characters; the captain looks like Kate Mulgrew (as Janeway), but is called Genevieve (as in Bujold). One actress (above, right), whose hair and costume make her resemble Kes the Ocampa, is wearing Andorian antennae.

There's also a new Andorian due in IDW Publishing's Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between #2 (2007). Schwin is an Andorian archeologist colleague of Captain Picard's. I can't wait to preview him here, so please watch this space...

Meanwhile, back to the housework and filing tasks...

On the first day of Christmas

I was very slack/busy this year and almost didn't get my Christmas tree up in time. The school year went right up to the Thursday of last week (21st), a week later than we used to experience in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s - and soooo inconvenient for doing Spring cleaning, decorating for Christmas and relaxed shopping. The last few years, in order for the Easter break to be longer, we break up later and it seemed like I was still writing comments for students' report cards when I shoulda oughta been tidying up around the house.

Last night, I was still decorating the tree and it occurred to me that I can relate many anecdotes about my Christmas ornaments. In the early 80s, I'd read an article in one of my Mum's old "New Idea" magazines, of a young married couple, so short of money after their wedding, that they had no money left to buy many decorations for their first Christmas together. They ended up pooling their cash and buying just one single ornament, which they dated - and thus began an annual tradition: of buying one, perhaps fairly expensive, unique ornament. Over the years they built up a Christmas tree full of important memories, and the cumulative effect of such a, um, well-hung(?) tree is infinitely more special that one covered with the contents of a bag of el cheapo baubles from the local Two Dollar shop.

The idea really appealled to me, especially because there fashion and decorating trends are even reflected in Christmas ornaments - certain styles, colours, glittery effects, commercial tie-ins, etc that firmly root a particular ornament to a time and a place - so when I knew I was about to buy my first home unit, I used a trip to the USA (December 1983) to start my hunt for unusual ornaments, to scrawl dates upon and perhaps to imprint some favourite memories, for my own tree. Of course, I couldn't restrain myself to two ornaments that first year, and I've usually try for one expensive, and one el-cheapo-but-cute, ever since. Watch this space over the twelve days of Christmas!



Above left: For 2006, a Hallmark "Superman Returns" over the Daily Planet; and a Homer Simpson as Santa, complete with stolen candy hidden behind his back. The Superman came from a local Target store and Homer from "The Simpsons" was a souvenir of the recent staff shopping trip (the Christmas Cave at Alexandria).

Above right: For 2005, a silver and frosted glass snow ballerina from a Christmas store cut-price sale in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains; and Spiderman carrying a webful of toys, purchased from The Phantom Zone comics collectibles shop in Parramatta.