Category Archive: LIFE
Karen Carpenter – A Most Extraordinary Craft
Karen Carpenter (2 March 1950 to 4 February 1983), one of the few famous female pop drummers of all time (think Mo Tucker, Bobbye Hall, Cindy Blackman, who else?) elevated the essentially easy-listening elevator music of her family duo thanks to her matchless, honey-over pancakes voice. Carpenters’ song-list is a creamy, sugared, nutty sundae of schmaltz, but her smooth, effortless, mirific contralto took it to a much better place – fare such as We’ve Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, Superstar, Yesterday Once More, Only Yesterday, Solitaire, and Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft. She died just shy of her 33rd birthday, from failure…
Continue Reading →O Happy Day
(image by Kaoz69)
January 26 – Australia Day Invasion Day, Survival Day, Moor-Your-Boat Day – an arbitrary dot on time’s spectrum was chosen as lucky little Australia’s modern, Gregorian, anniversary date. That’s when HMS Supply moored in Sydney Cove one choppy morning in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip and a small crew rowed ashore, and claimed the continent in the name of Mad King George III. There are roughly three camps who pitch their tents on our National Day – those who hold 26/1/1788 sacred; those who hold it as profane, and the great silent majority who view it through the lens of beer and barbeques. The genuine and perhaps…
Continue Reading →Classical Greek at the WEA in 2017.
Image courtesy of The Australian.
Hard to believe that we ten will be entering our fourth year of Greek with Dr Boria at the Adelaide WEA. I still haven’t got a hold of those progressive active participles. We love our lessons. Our books – Athenaze 1 textbook and workbook (yes, we are only now completing book one) – are tattered to various degrees – mine is the worst of all. Perhaps we will start on Athenaze 2 this year? (The Athenaze books are available at Dymocks in the city, or online). More εταιροι και εταιραι* would be welcome ….so please join us! No-one is made to feel stupid for their…
Continue Reading →Our Declaration of Principles
We'd make our promises now...if we weren't so busy arranging to keep them
The Varnished Culture hereby undertakes as follows: To: Declare interest, if any; Publish sans fear or favour; Encourage, though not necessarily respect, other views; Try to moderate and critically self-assess ingrained or fixed opinions; Neither boycott nor sanction those for what they say or publish; Be fair to Art whilst being harsh to Art; Eliminate gratuitous metaphysics and safe spaces; Be honest in all things; Tirelessly and fearlessly champion the individual’s rights, dreams, and artistic expressions; Tirelessly and fearlessly remind the individual of responsibilities. [*Explanatory Notes: We might accept…
Continue Reading →Careful Now – Friday 13th
(image by Nevit Dilman)
Remember these tips to avoid catastrophe on Templar’s Day*: If you see a funeral cortege approach, run. Don’t let it pass or cross you. Black cats are not for patting today. Keep an eye on any 13 month old babies. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do. Don’t go for a trim. Get out the candles, in case of blackouts. Residents in South Australia will have them out already… Don’t fly Aeroflot. Not this day, nor any other day. For heaven’s sake don’t be one of 13 at a dinner party – that’s an iron rule that Lord Edgeware should have…
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