Its getting late....

Well its getting late and I have spent a bit of time fooling around with my blog tonight, and I haven't had dinner yet!

Am I getting addicted? Am I destined to become a compulsive blogger?

SURELY NOT?

I have edited some of my original posts, which I did in a hurry and added a few things in, but it does take quite a bit of time. So now I really have a sore body for too much computer and I better go home and have

Some dinner:

and do some yoga !!

I was lucky to see Alexis Wright at the Melbourne writers Festival in conversation with Tony Birch. It was great event, and I felt privileged and moved to see such an amazing writer and an inspiring Australian . Tony Birch was great too, he is a fantastic writer as well, and I look forward to going on his Fitzroy Walk one day as I am sure it will be really exciting.

WEEK 3: Tracking my learning:
This post is where I figured out how to put pictures in my posts- but I still haven't worked out how to edit my Flag so it looks better When I sit and spend a bit of time doing this I am enjoying it, and think it will be fun to try and do this with some of the kids.

Why I am so one track....why am I so one track?

I am a bit obsessed with Indigenous issues as some people will know, but I spent a little while in a community and it has kind of touched my soul.

I loved all the kids and it made me sad that people are so poor and living in such crappy conditions, with death, drunkenss and suicide all around them. One thing that me so sad, was when I recently visited the community again this year: I found out that a young girl who was 21 years old, and who used to visit the Library often when I was working there had killed herself. She had two beautiful kids, was so young, and it was just a tradegy. I guess that's what makes me want to do something, although I am not really - just obsessing, but I would like to be more ACTIVE.

This not to say the people that I met lives are all crap, and that there are not great moments of joy and happiness.

Last night I saw an amazing show that is on at the Malthouse- called " KIN" by Devised and Directed By Stephen Page. It was so amazing all Murri Boys in their early teens doing a fantastic dance story of growth, and initiaton. It had rapping, dance, grooves and such beauty it really moved me. It is so inspiring to see young people being so creative and telling a great story, if you can get to see it I really recommend it.

KIN Devised and Directed by Stephen Page
CHECK IT OUT!
http://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whatson/kin.html

PROBLEMS WITH MY BLOG:
I wish I could edit my picture so it looks better- the flag I mean. Cause I don't like how it looks. I also get a bit frustrated by the limitations of the blog template and the fonts and colours. I need to figure out how to add some more pictures so it is a bit more visual.

Flickr

My second blog is to let you know that I have created a Flickr account. But need to have a tea break now before I go on the desk. School Hols
I have been looking at some of the Flickr applications and thought that some of them would be good to use with teens in our Youth Program that we will be launching soon at Fitzroy Library. I checked out this link and found a psoter and ID Badge idea that might be fun to use with the kids in the program, but I need to play around with them a bit more to imagine how they might work. It would be good if the kids could design their own poster- the only problem is that we don't have a color printer on easy access- so I oiuld have to bea able to print them out later which might delay the instant gratification, but still there is some fun stuff that would be good to use with the kids.
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/

I made a poster very quickly and ahve put it on my flickr page so if you go to the link you can have alook- its a bit goofy but just a play idea.

Close The Gap

Hello there,
I have deciced to call my blog Close the Gap , because maybe doing this will close the gap in my knowledge about Web 2.0. You know I am a bit reluctant as I spend so much time staring at computers and I would rather be going out and talking to people in the community, or doing outreach rather than using a computer. They are useful and all, and I am glad we have library catalogues, and I don't have to deal with the Browns system, but I think I would rather be staring at the trees, the sea and sailing, gardening or making things rather than fooling around on the net. My eyes get tired and my body gets sore.
Have I complained enough?
Anyway MORE IMPORTANTLY : . Close the Gap is Australia's largest campaign to improve Indigenous health
Supported by more than 40 Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations, including Oxfam Australia, the campaign calls on federal, state and territory governments to commit to closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a life expectancy 17 years less than other Australians. Yet this is a situation that can be changed. Many successful community run health programs are making a difference: the Townsville Mum's and Babies Program has increased child birth weights and cut the perinatal death rate by half. And Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled health services have some of the highest vaccination rates in the country.

Today is the 18th of September and it is a big Campaign Day for Close the Gap, but I didn't manage to get organised to do anything which was a bit slack. Also the activities that were organised were held at two o'clcock in the City, and I had to be at work today.