History Never Repeats – But It Could!

In 1969, in an average sized school in Palo Alto, California, Ron Jones thought that he was teaching his class a lesson in history and humanity. It was a social experiment that caused a wave of ‘almost anarchy’.

Morton Rhue dramatises this experiment in The Wave and cleverly builds the tension and breakdown of principles and values.

The teacher (renamed Ben Ross,) had a simple idea to teach his students practically how Germany got swept up in the NAZI regime. His focus was on strength through discipline, strength through community and strength through action. He had many novel ways of demonstrating these points. He called it ‘The Wave.’

Initially there was a buzz of excitement and change and the discipline infiltrated positively into other classes, the football team became more cohesive and even 'loners' became accepted.

This stability soon erupted as chants and salutes were expected and posters were plastered around the school. Many staff were also swept up in the craze and student bullying became rife. There was fear of retribution for those who chose not to follow.

At one point, Ross felt empowered as their leader - one student even offering to be his body guard: “It’s amazing how much more they like you when you make decisions for them.”

When a young boy is beaten, the school is in crisis and Ross needs to end his experiment or ‘The Wave” will crush everyone.

The students need to see their NAZI-like their behaviour for what it is. The bottom-line is that everyone is responsible for their actions: “never allow a group’s will to usurp your individual rights.”

Along the lines of Lord of the Flies, The Tomorrow Series and the Hunger Games, human behaviour can thrive on power and survival and basic values of respect and compassion can erode. Rhue illustrates this through his 107-page book - a social experiment that proves history can repeat itself!

Sam's Rating:  7-10

R.D.O.B.B.I.A.S.

Homemade party fun is best! Who was I kidding? Home + gluten-free cooking + dishes + ‘wired’ little boys on sugar = never again!

We have just been run ragged at my son’s ‘casual’ birthday gathering. It was worse than having to supervise an 18^th party with gatecrashes because these boys just threw themselves at each other from every angle for three hours solid. There were defiant leaps and tackles, like lions taking down gazelles  - and of course the follow-up tears and cries of “he hurt me.”

So today is R.D.O.B.B.I.A.S. – Rostered Day Off Blogging Because I Am Stuffed!

Happy birthday to my beautiful boy in 10 precious minutes, who came ‘bottom first’ into this world 7 years ago!

And I thought I’d need a shower cap to keep my hair dry and looking good for the Mum and newborn baby photo – ignorance is bliss!

I love you son, but Action Sports is definitely booked for next year!

The 'G' Word

“For my birthday I’d like a real horse, some puppies and pink fairy cakes with sparkles”

We laugh – then think don’t be ridiculous – and say, “we’ll see,” and probably end up giving in to that gorgeous and irresistible ‘milk teeth’ grin.

I’m your old fashioned ‘party in the backyard’ Mum and of the 10 parties we’ve put on for our children (combined) none have been done by halves. I like to think they have the intimacy of being ‘home-made’ and unique.

I work with our kids chosen theme (can be difficult when it changes five times in a year) and then collect things intermittently in the 6-month lead up, from costumes and horseshoes, to Barbie pictures and footy paraphernalia.

My son is almost seven (two more sleeps) and all he wanted was a simple party with four friends. He requested McDonalds and a movie. I rubbed my hands with glee at the thought of not cooking or having to make crazy decorations – not to mention tearing around the house with a ‘bog brush’ two minutes before 20 psyched kids make an assault on your house! That was until the 'G' word threatened to bring our plans into disrepute.

‘G’ – being gluten, is in reference to a gluten-free diet - or as my son calls those affected, ‘gluten ferrets’ (said very endearingly and innocently of course.)

Gone are the days of a packet of party pies, bowl of Cheezels and fairy bread triangles. These days you worry someone will have an anaphylactic fit if they eat nuts, get hyperactive from food colours, rashes from eggs or of course a reaction to the big ‘G’. No wonder no one wants to cook!

Out of the five children at the party (the numbers crept up with twins,) three are ‘gluten ferrets,’ therefore a Big Mac is off the cards and there goes my cooking-free party.

Beauty & the Beast and some moon stealing Scrooge movie were the best an offer for seven-year-old boys, so the movie option also got the axe.

Suddenly my ‘oh so simple’ party of five has become a footy clinic (my hub whipped up a 2 metre wide by 1.2 metre high hand-ball board last night,) and BBQ with Angus Beef gluten-free sausages, salad without dressing, meringues and popcorn cakes. I’ve even been coerced into hosting a sleep over because the movie choice was so poor. All thanks to a couple of ‘gluten ferrets!'

Seriously, it can be very dangerous for Coeliacs to consume gluten in any form. I appreciate the need to prepare and serve food in a gluten free zone and some of my dear friends or their children endure this condition - but surely 3 in 5 at a party isn’t normal odds?

God help me when I get to the (now) ‘puppy party’ and I can’t make those sparkly puppy fairy cakes – I better get myself some good gluten-free party cook books!

** Thanks to my dear friend Ms Angel who helped me with my popcorn cakes that are going to form the number ‘7’ (see pic above).

I Feel Pretty…

Original Broadway 1957

“I feel pretty…and witty and gay. And I pity –" anyone staying at home tonight while I go to watch the West Side Story spectacular.

This musical Romeo & Juliet story was penned in 1955 and traces the street gang feuds of the 1930’s in L.A. The story is set in New York and is based on the volatile relationship between the Jets (whites) and the Sharks(Puerto Rican).

Love has no boundaries when a Jet (Tony) falls for the sister of a Shark (Maria). At the height of this street battle, lies lead to death, ultimately bringing down the division between the two rival gangs, as they carry the slain together.

There are parallels between the torrid relationship of Shakespeare’s Montagues and Capulets and the Jets and Sharks. Jerome Robbins bases the story on this conception. Lenard Burnstein writes the music and the book is written by Arthur Laurents.

You only need to refresh the delightful Shakespearean language from Romeo and Juliet to see how Robbins drew the parallels:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
 William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2


"A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents."


William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 5.3


"For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
 William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 5.3

"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! 
O that I were a glove upon that hand, 
that I might touch that cheek!"
 William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

I adore musicals and have proudly seen at least these following 23:

1. Les Miserables (x 3 times)
2. The Sound of Music
3. Rent
4. Phantom of the Opera
5. Little Night Music
6. Oliver
7. Jesus Christ Super Star
8. Billy Elliot
9. Miss Saigon
10. Jersey Boys
11. Boy from Oz (Hugh Jackman version)
12. The Wizard of Oz
13. Huckleberry Finn
14. Mama Mia
15. Crazy for you (25 times when I worked as an usher at the State Theatre)
16. Hair
17. Peter & the Wolf
18. The Lion King
19. Guys & Dolls
20. Shane Warne the Musical
21. Beauty & The Beast
22. Into the Woods
23. The Full Monty

 Add to that, Westside Story tonight and Mary Poppins booked for November and you could say I was a musical junkie!

What’s On Your Mind? Cunning Chicken

Call me a cynic, but when someone announces they’re about to have a glass of wine; the kids are "feral;" or they are about to take a Zumba class – does the whole electronic world have to know?

I resented the invention of the mobile phone and telecommunications’ ability to stalk you wherever you went. Call-waiting infuriated me – wait your turn please! Facebook was a novelty for a year until 1000 applications, games ‘What’s on your mind?’ and pokes too many tipped me over the cyber edge. Don’t start me on Twitter, or should I say: “Suck on that fag***s” (courtesy of our not-so eloquent Olympic Swimmer, Stephanie Rice*.

I said it early on in my 30-day blogging career that social media is the foundation of P.R. My true purpose of this blog is not to promote my writing, or me, but to promote the concept of publicising a self-published author. There are ways and means, but I have to set the scene – show a prospective author that I understand writing, live and breathe books and have a creative edge that stands out from ‘the suits’ in their swish P.R agencies on three zero figures (sounding cynical again?)

Recently, I have used my ‘social media’ networks to champion my Red Curry Chicken and Pumpkin Burgers recipe at http://lenards.com.au/. There is a competition where the best chicken recipe with the most votes wins a $20,000 kitchen. Now if you’ve seen my current ‘cooking hole’ you’d appreciate my determination. I’d also be happy with an iPad for my efforts  - or even a Lenards Chicken Pack!

I hit lots of the social networking sites. I put a link on Facebook**, invited people to my Champion the Chicken cause event. I Tweeted fluff about my Red Curry Chicken and Pumpkin Burgers. I even targeted individual Facebook Walls. If my brother can get 120 mates, then I can surely squeeze a few votes out of them? I haven’t tried Linked-In yet but there’s still time. Last, but not least, is my dear blog! Yes, I’m a cynic of social media – but cunning!

 Don’t forget to vote:  http://lenards.com.au/ -  Red Curry Chicken and Pumpkin Burgers under Win iPad then Other (last self-plug today, I promise)

*Twittered by Rice in relation to the Wallabies beating the Springboks in the Tri-Nations.

Allegiance to All Books – Sawn Off Tales Book Review

I used to be loyal to one author at a time. In my childhood it was Dr Seuss and Mr. Men books. As a junior, Roald Dahl hooked me with his incredible imagination and hilarious character descriptions. The BFG is one of my all-time favourite books (perhaps that’s why I am such a good belcher?)

As a teenager, I remember going through a Judy Bloom stage. I was terrified Mum would find my borrowed copy of Forever (the infamous sex scene) and coping with the embarrassment of her knowing I had ‘one of those’ type of books. In hindsight, Mum wouldn’t have cared less.

As a young adult, Lurlene McDaniel was an author I was fascinated with. She confronted and explored illness, death and relationships. In my 20’s, I enjoyed reading Bryce Courtney’s novels in sequence. The 30’s have unleashed me and I read adult, junior, fiction, non-fiction - anything and everything!

Sawn-off Tales is a brilliant collection of left-of-centre stories that show you how incredibly creative the human mind can be – especially David Gaffney’s!

To give you a taste I have pulled out some striking sentences:

“I could see through him like a cheap nightie”

“Metallic snare ripped the air…bleeping gnashing metal beast”

“Words ‘nudging up against each other”

“Her house had huge bay windows like a comforting bosom into which I sank’

‘A thousand parallel existences, each nourishing the other’

There are stories about young employees ‘cracking onto’ each other by joining ‘Weetos’ cereal together to form names and squeezing cheesy sauce messages on the splash glass. Another talks about a hairdresser knowing you’ve had a “tight arse” haircut since he last cut your hair. There’s a completely bizarre one about sharing a toilet seat with a stranger who complains about society being ‘stand-offish’. A man who finds solace sleeping inside his large empty wardrobe and another who tries to follow a dating guide and ends up wearing at-shirt that says ‘dirty bastard’ in Swahili. There’s even some computer server operator who gets a thrill from shutting down servers each night.

Some stories seem like they could be linked and there is an underlying theme of affairs and being caught in the act, or being ignorant of such a misdemeanor.

There are stories of forgetful birthday card givers, phone sex callers, sick-leave addicts and marginalized people who should be in the zoo (implying that’s how we treat them). Gaffney takes simple concepts and twists them into crazy tales of deceit, destruction, obsession and wit.

Some stories made me think Gaffney is disturbed, others only human, a few crazy, and mostly - he’s just bloody hilarious!

It even makes you think up quirky stories of your own like painting your house fluorescent pink to piss of the neighbours. Counting how many red cars drive up and down your street. Getting high on some foul smell (like wet dog) or stealing good junk mail  (like the KFC and DVD vouchers) from other people’s letterboxes. See how mutant the brain can become! No, I haven’t tried any of the above!

Sawn-off Tales is not a book I would normally choose off the shelf, but I enjoyed the simple (each tale approximately 2 pages) complexity of this collection.

Luckily my English-born hub helped me to pick up little English words, places and abbreviations.

I give it an 8 for readability and 10 for originality!

What twisted thoughts can you create into a story?

PS It may take two hours to read but it takes another two hours to scrawl notes and stop thinking about each story (give yourself a couple of nights at least).

Ubiquitous Me

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“I have a great book, it’s just a short one and brilliantly written…you’ll read it in a couple of hours,” said Mrs. Jingle. I replied: “Yeah, sure. No worries!” That was Tuesday…

Meanwhile, my daughter asked me to draw her a chipmunk, my son needed help with his readers, the dog hinted at her dinner, while mine was churning through the pasta machine. God only knows why I had to be so organic on a frantic night like that. Birthday cakes were baking, books for the business were overdue (sorry Mrs Mac & Mrs B you won’t be impressed,) and my blog entry beckoned.

I find my two-hour window (if the sleep fairies aren’t stomping on my eyelids) is well into the night when bedtime ritual, dinner and dishes are done. I’m often snuggled up in bed opening my book at midnight!

This latest ‘easy read’ is called Sawn Off Tales – a series of short stories by David Gaffney. He must be English because there are lots of English references and colloquialisms like B & Q and Asda and footy is soccer of course.

I read half of it in the car on the way to Healesville for breakfast with a good friend. Meanwhile my companion was swooning with carsickness. I probably made her feel giddier by reading.

Each tale is two pages long and very quirky indeed. Some of the scenarios are so bizarre, like stealing someone’s full shopping trolley (containing items on your list) to avoid having to shop. Lots of “caught in the acts” and just plain weird, ‘what was that about?’ stories.

I have 12 pages to go (or six stories) and this basic over-view will have to do for tonight. I’ve taken notes so I don’t forget the other 20 or so stories I have already read.

I need to be ubiquitous (great word that – look it up) again and get myself dressed for a night at Kofi Bean (great Moroccan restaurant), heat the risotto for the ‘stay at homes’, get the clothes off the clothes horse that are well toasted in their heated alcove, check emails, ask my hub about his day and get the pajamas ready on beds – all in 15 minutes. Here we go again…

Stand by for more Sawn Off ‘22’ Tales on Monday.

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