TBS&E No. 25 Draft / Revised attendees from people who wouldn’t usually consider attending a ‘Science Fiction’ event. TBS&E My other recent intensive effort has been to list my collection of books prior to re-shelving / disposal. I’m finding a surprising number of No. 25 duplicates and a whole lot of ‘why on earth did I bring that home’? books. The disc with this issue is the current state of my virtual library. Revived Please have a look through it. One point of this exercise has been my resolve that if I croak Produced by Garry Dalrymple as a some one will know what books I had and that June their disposal will be handled more sensitively contribution to ANZAPA, the Australian than Kevin Dillon’s possessions were. Some and New Zealand (SF fan’s) Amateur Press of what I have collected over the years must be Association. Postal Address: P. O. valuable to someone else, If I let you know now what I have, then connections may be made Box 2 Bexley North NSW 2207, after I’m gone. Think about listing your own Home ph. (best after 7 pm) 02 9718-5827 books as well? - GPD Email – [email protected] Quark Strangeness and Charm in Sydney Newsletter Plan Domestic re-organisation proceeds apace, one Page 1 , Index and Editorial weekend I filled the 240 litre recyclables bin Pages 1 to 3, Quark Strangeness and with no longer needed papers and on the next Charm in Sydney. weekend, the disposal of a large number of old Pages 3 to 5 , Marrickville Sustainability textbooks (circa 1985) and National Geographic magazines required two trips (by bus, books Fair, April 15, 2007 filling a shopping trolley) in to the ‘Reverse Pages 8 & 9 , Another Big Week for Garry. Garbage Truck’ at Marrickville. If stacked end Pages 5 & 6, Skeptics at the Pub meeting on end the books and magazines would have May 2. stood ~ two metres high! On the second Pages 6 to 8, Sydney SF&F Meetings of (Sunday Trip), as the bus filled up and double May, Infinitas, Dr Who Tavern and seats needed I was driven up the back of the bus to where I couldn’t help with increasing Spocksoc Quiz Night. clarity what two young misses at the very back of the bus were discussing. A mutual Editorial acquaintance, ‘X’ aged 15, was discussed, Dear all Was she a model? No she just pretended to This issue is in effect made up of the back half of be. She was a slut. She has had Clinton what had been accumulating as Issue Number 23. Sex with all the boys of their circle, and uses As ever, I hope that this issue will bring you up to sexual availability to get what she wants. But, date with what I have been reading and the they admit she has ‘problems’, as her father is Sydney SF and Science meetings I have been into underage sex, having ‘put the word’ on attending (between other commitments). several girls of their circle, putting it about that The recent death of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (KVG) has over fourteen is the age of consent for Adult-to- brought forward my plans for the 2007 Sydney teenager sex !!!!! I heard that ‘Cheering’, Freecon. I’m hoping that KVG’s wide being part of an organised Cheer Squad, was a readership will make it easier to attract speakers form of organised and parent approved sport for the Kevin Dillon Symposium and Freecon 1 | P a g e TBS&E No. 25 Draft / Revised that one of the girls participates in, (whether the home environment of one of her women’s Netball and Hockey?) but she frequently grandchildren. She pays $310 a week for her jigs this to go to the beach instead. At one point (pokey?) flat, leaving not much for her to be a mobile phone call interrupted this Socratic cheerful on. It turns out that the reason why I dialogue. An employer required one to attend see her around so much is that she feeds part work on Sunday from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. of her day feeding the cats near the (Campsie) Continuity of this part-time employment seemed railway station. Seeing at close hand how to be more of issue than penalty rates. my mother has had to struggle after my father’s Another recreational opportunity discussed was death, I have a completely different view of the the practise of visiting abandoned and sometimes woman and why she seeks to engage strangers boarded up houses. Evidence of occupation, in conversation about her troubles. pornography and strange items relating to Next morning I pick out a few money related temporarily absent occupants were more eyebrow records and letters and head off to work. At raising than any tales of ‘Ghosts’. Campsie Station, minutes before the next train Weeping Statues, Lactating Handbags ! - is due I’m stuck behind a Korean couple trying As you may read elsewhere in this issue I intend to buy a $5 ticket to Bondi Junction with fifty to read Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ . I cent pieces, although the sign says ‘no more discovered that the Bankstown Library has a copy than six coins. They hit the refund button a few so I attempted to get a Library card so I could times, resulting in the poker machine like borrow it. As is the case so often, photo ID was cascade of their money returned and they try requested as proof of identity and I have none. again, before giving up and wandering off. The alternative is to bring some bank accounts / During this time I dropped my bag and offered bills etc. Went home on the train, somewhat to assist. Doing this the 250 ml container of defeated by my identity crisis. milk I had in the bag shattered and had a few minutes to soak through the stuff in my bag. I White Russian - Things got worse at the noticed the leak only as I climbed on board the Campsie 412 bus stop, as the Russian lady was train to Bankstown, so I had a fifteen minute on hand. The Russian lady is a short round ride surrounded by a growing puddle of spilt weather beaten figure whose characteristic milk. feature is to talk of her troubled and disappointing The 24 th of May was one of those unavoidable life in a depressing, monotone accent to whoever Office charity morning-tea days, this time for she can sit next to at the bus stop, whether they Cancer research. I attend these things with can understand English or not. A White great misgivings, I really do not like the idea of Russian, born in China, she probably has a lot to ‘lets all get together and have a cause party’. be disappointed about, but on and on she goes! I At our workplace they raised $138, close to have known people get up and walk to the next what I get paid each day. Cakes were baked, bus stop along to avoid having to talk to her. people left the office to gather in supplies, Toxic When you can finally escape from her she always brown sludge (er I Mean Coffee) was brewed offers to pray for you, such people may be why etc. About forty people spent most of an hour statues weep. off work to ‘celebrate’ Cancer. And then you hear something that changes your Douggie - The day before ‘Douggie ’ first opinion of her around by 180 degrees. Later that visited our office. Douggie is a fifty-ish, week she was there again, and the rest of the overweight, unmarried teacher, the sort we all story comes out. Last year her husband died probably made fun off at High school. He had from smokes and booze. In grief she then tried been temporarily transferred to our office, away to drink herself to death, ending up in hospital with from teaching duties because he is currently a gushing stomach ulcer (as I have had!). Her undergoing treatment for Cancer. His children are no help to her, she is worried about position back at his school, which was to have 2 | P a g e TBS&E No. 25 Draft / Revised been kept open has in fact been filled, so he now The Steele Park / Cooks River, has nowhere to go back to after his course of Marrickville Sustainability Fair held treatment. Great News huh, way to go! on Sunday April 15, 2007. Douggie is very interested in History and he was This annual event takes place on the river flat very appreciative of the military history books I just beyond the Canterbury Municipality’s have learnt him. Douggie showed up to collect border, the Cooks river. It’s organised by his mail, put in forms to cover his absences for Marrickville Council, but I expect that a lot of the treatment, but mostly to ‘talk out’ his situation. people attending are Canterbury residents. If Douggie is facing a long and arduous cycle of you had a mind to you could even consider this Chemo or Radiation, he is going for a long stroll in natural boundary to be the place where ‘Inner the valley of the shadow of death and what City’ and ‘Suburbia’ abut, although the exactly is there waiting for him at the end? He demographics on the ground are a bit more could really use a mate about now, a commodity mixed than that, but the view from the Earlwood in short supply in the workplace budget these Escarpment out over Marrickville to the CBD days.