Antipodean Areopagus
an Australasian agora where the meek shall inherit the earth. But they‟d better be meek.
Issue number 3 – June 2011
PREPARED IN MELBOURNE BY BILL WRIGHT UNIT 4, 1 PARK STREET, ST KILDA WEST, VICTORIA 3182 FOR PUBLICATION IN: ANZAPA MAILING # 261 JUNE 2011 AND FOR DISPLAY ON: eFanzines: http://www.efanzines.com
2
Antipodean Areopagus Issue number 3
for ANZAPA #261 - June 2011 and for display on eFanzines (www.efanzines.com)
edited by Bill Wright
Pamela Boal wrote this poem in Fibonacci 1-1-2-3-5-8 syllables:
When Comes Darkness, Call up light, Thus banish the stress Of things that go bump in the night. It was first published by John Hertz in Vanamonde 787 on 24 June 2008 and recently brought to my attention by Yvonne Rousseau. This issue’s cover David Russell, who hails from Warrnambool in Western Victoria, sent me this issue‟s cover graphic in May 2011, It was untitled and with nary a clue as to what it might represent. To me it conveys a sense of menace that fits my mood of the moment engendered by lugubrious introspection. I‟ve noticed that prolonged illness causes sadness in other people. It seems I‟m no exception..
Contents Conventions on the horizon ...... 3 Letters from (North) America ...... 4 From the cabinet of Dennis Callegari ...... 6 David Cake wins the 2011 DUFF race ...... 7 About fan funds ...... 7 Swancon 36 / Natcon 50 ...... 8 Paul Collins (2011 Chandler Award winner) feted in Melbourne...... 11 Exploring Badgerdom with Tim Train ...... 13 Alcochock ...... 15 History of ASFR ...... 16 Floods – February 2011 ...... 17 Stefan zone ...... 18 From Great Grandmother‟s Medicine Chest ...... 22 Photos on pages 9 & 10 by Cat Sparks. Photos on pages 11 &12 by Helena Binns Illustrations on cover and on page 19 by Rotsler 3
Conventions on the horizon
CONTINUUM 7 will be held 10-13 June, 2011. International Guest of Honour is SF author Richard Morgan (Glasgow). Australian Guest of Honour is Dave Freer, co-author with Eric Flint of the Rats, Bats and Vats series and other stories published by Baen Books. Memberships are available from the Continuum Foundation website: http://www.continuum.org.au/.
RENOVATION is the Worldcon in Reno, Nevada, USA August 17-21, 2011. GoH's: Tim Powers, Ellen Asher, fantasy artist Boris Vallejo/ Venue: Reno-Sparks Convention Centre & The Atlantis Hotel main venues. Australian Agent: Jean Weber. For more details see http://renovationsf.org/.
CONFLUX 7. Friday 30 September to Monday 3 October 2011. Marque Hotel, 102 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, ACT. See Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflux_%28convention%29 for details of the six Conflux conventions held in Canberra since 2004. The site also outlines plans for Conflux 7.
CONTINUUM 8 will be Australia‟s 51st Natcon in Melbourne on 8-11 June, 2012. Venue and guests of honour have still to be announced.
-- Hyatt Regency (Perth) Lobby Bar Fan Lounge at Swancon 36/Natcon 50
4
Letters from (North) America Loc from Lloyd Penney 1706-24 Eva Rd., Etobicoke, Ontario, CANADA M9C 2B2 Monday May 2nd, 2011 Dear Bill: I hope I‟m not too late for this letter of comment on Antipodean Areopagus 2…
Ah, yes, that Prince Charming. He gets around, doesn‟t he? Love „em and leave „em…
My letter…when I wrote that too many friends were suffering from serious diseases and syndromes, I did have Mike Glicksohn in mind. Mike passed away about six weeks or so ago, from a stroke, while suffering from bladder cancer. I also mentioned Professor Elemental…we got to see the Professor in action this past weekend in Toronto, demonstrating chap hop, and enjoying a cup of brown joy, namely a fine cuppa.
I nominated and voted for TAFF…congratulations to John Coxon! Coming up soon is the name of the winner of this year‟s CUFF, to send a fan from the western part of Canada to the CanVention at SFContario in Toronto this coming November. The candidates are Danielle Stephens of Vancouver, and Kent Pollard of Saskatoon. I am not sure when the winner will be announced, but it should be soon.
You say that the word for stranger in Thai is farang. I believe the word for stranger in Farsi/Persian is the same, or close to it, something like ferengi. This is where Star Trek got the term Ferenghi. Historically, farang or ferengi has the same root as the Franks of Europe, and the French of modern-day France. I‟d also read that farang or ferengi was the way those in Thailand or Persia pronounced French or Frenchie.
I have always liked the idea of artificial intelligence and the stories that discuss that idea. I must wonder though that if all aspects of intelligence were to be catalogued, listed and programmed, with parameters of response, logical or otherwise, the actual programme for an AI would be an untold number of terabytes or exabytes in size.
What could store a programme that size? I expect that AI will always be a trope of science fiction. When it comes to mind transfer, we would like whatever a mind is to be organized into files that can be moved from one location to another. I can‟t think of anything more disorganized. Great ideas, and honoured by the number of times they are used, but it may take a quantum leap in technology to make this fiction fact. Give it a decade or so?
If nothing else, discussing these ideas, no matter how unlikely or impossible they may sound, exercises the grey matter, and allows us, as Douglas Adams and Lewis Carroll once wrote, to do six impossible things before breakfast. Or, at least contemplate them.
Many thanks, Bill, hope everything is good down where you are. Spring arrives here as autumn visits you. See you with the next issue. Yours, Lloyd Penney
The Thai word for stranger, „farang‟, is pronounced „fallang‟ by the locals. They also have trouble pronouncing polysyllabic words in English. It amused us when we asked for separate bills in an up-market restaurant in Pattaya, to have the waitress nod understandingly and repeat, “zebellin bills.” One tries not to laugh in such situations, but Aussie expatriates at the table did raise our eyebrows at each other. Ed. 5
-- Loc from Eric Mayer Pennsylvania USA Eric Mayer discovered fandom in 1972. From 1978 to 1995 he published Groggy, a mostly dittoed perzine that often featured hectographed covers. His current e-zine is E-Ditto available at eFanzines: http://efanzines.com.
Thursday May 12nd, 2011 Dear Bill: Antipodean Areopagus #2 April 2011 was a great read. Interesting stuff. You'll never know what you'll learn when you open up a fanzine. I would never have expected to read that a soul weighs, on average, 21 grams. The fact that that was reported as an average must mean that some have bigger souls than others. Well, heavier souls. But 21 grams of what? And where does it go? Occam's Razor has always struck me as more aesthetic or philosophical than scientific but admittedly, I have read about its application but not about its genesis or the rational behind it. I agree that we are our memories. In fact we may be nothing but the past. By the time our mind processes whatever sensations are impinging on us and alerts us to them they are in the past. By the time we consciously are aware of sensations aren't we analyzing them and already remembering them? Or now that I am past sixty does it just amuse me to argue that never mind if I dwell on the past, we all live in the past perpetually. My mom and her sister both have Alzheimer's. Mom can't remember what you said to her two minutes ago, but she definitely retains her sense of identity. My aunt now resides in a nursing home and although she is in pretty much the same state as my mom, there are many residents in the home who obviously have at some point lost their sense of identity. I probably used to be a dualist. I would guess most people, just thinking generally about things are. Because, as is often pointed out, our consciousness seems so much different from the physical objects it perceives. Whereas the chair I'm sitting on can be weighed and measured and seen by others, my consciousness -- myself -- is mysterious, not measurable, not perceivable to anyone else and besides that, consciousness is in some sense active, or at least it feels active to me. Then again, the fact that a thing can't be measured or seen by others might be an argument against it being an entity in itself. And, really, is my consciousness more "mysterious" than my chair? Matter is inexplicable except as we humans snese it and define it. What it "is"....well....who can say? Does the question even mean anything. Consciousness is at least something each of us has an intimate experience of and may actually be less mysterious to us than matter. I had never heard of epitimistic relativism, luckily. The idea that science has no objective basis sounds laughable. That idea is disproven by science, isn't it? Well, I'm sure they thought of that and have some explanation, but really, can these people truly believe the speed of light is different in Baltimore than Istanbul? What about the fact that science works? Planes based on scientific principles stay in the air, rockets leave the surface of the earth and go into orbit exactly as calculated. I am attracted to pragamtism, as set forth by William James, and the idea that there is no such thing as a final truth but that truth changes as our knowledge of the universe changes, but that's hardly the same as saying science is cultural or political or whatever. Although I am sure a lot of right-wingers in this country would find that theory very useful as they seem to imply that science is a liberal conspiracy. I am even less qualified to speak about Thailand than I am about philosophy but I did find your trip report and photos fascinating and look forward to the next instalment. Oh, one last thing....of course rats have souls! Best, Eric Mayer
Sir Terry Pratchett thinks that rats have souls. He‟s even included a personification of the Death of Rats in his Discworld stories. Regrettably, there‟s no room in this issue for an account of the rest of my trip to Thailand in February-March 2011. Perhaps later in the year. Ed. 6
From the cabinet of Dennis Callegari These data come from a US source, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of its own sources, but the "Data in Motion" page has a great analytical tool for charting health trends in different countries around the world. http://healthsystems2020.healthsystemsdatabase.org/Default.aspx For example, try charting "life expectancy at birth" against "government expenditure on health as a percentage 2of total government expenditure" and move the slider from 1995 to 2008. Dennis Callegari The editor tried this out, running the comparison three times for Australia, Canada and the United States...
Note similarities between the graphs for Australia‟s and Canada‟s results. Then look at the very different (historical) pattern for the United States, albeit 2008 health expenditure percentages seem to be converging at somewhere less than 20% of total government expenditure. Interpretation of the results is fraught, but there‟s enormous amount of information in USAID‟s „HeathSystems20/20‟ to ferret out corroborative and comparative data. Francis Payne, a medical man himself, thinks it‟s an interesting site. What particularly struck him is that, despite all the hoo-hah about the comparative efficiency of health systems round the world, there's an amazingly linear relationship between a county's income and its expenditure on health. Basically, if the money is there it gets spent. The outliers on the comparison, Norway and Luxembourg (not shown here but both with universal government health care) spend a greater proportion of total government expenditure on health care than the United States, but both have slightly higher per capita incomes. Japan is the only country that seems to buck the trend and genuinely spend less. He thought at first it must be related to healthy diet and lifestyle. But Frank remembered spouting off to Dennis a while ago about the problems hospitals have run into in Australia since the entire hospital system was taken over by professional managers with public service links and mentalities. He checked out the Japanese medical system to see if there were any clues as to why it was so efficient. He found it was similar to Australia‟s - partly State run with a general health insurance system (like Australia‟s Medibank Private government run health fund) that you have to pay for, with one big difference: (quote from Wikipedia:) "Hospitals, by law, must be run ... and be managed by physicians...... Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians." How might such a framework for managing health costs play out in the United States? Now that‟s fraught! 7
David Cake wins the 2011 DUFF race On Monday 6th June 2011, Australian administrator Emma Hawkes announced that the winner of the 2011 DUFF race is David Cake from Perth, Western Australia. Dave will travel to North America to represent Australia and New Zealand fandom at Renovation the 69th World Science Fiction Convention at Remo., Nevada:
Swancon 36 / Natcon 50 50th Australian National Science Fiction Convention Hyatt Regency Hotel, Perth, Western Australia Thursday 21st to Monday 25th April 2011 I went to this year‟s Natcon with a brief from the Australian Science Fiction Foundation to manage the presentation of Foundation‟s principal achievement awards - the A. Bertram Chandler Award for outstinging achievement in science fiction; and - the Norma K Hemming Award for race, gender, sexuality, class and disability in speculative fiction and to report on progress on a number of important initiatives that ASFF is concerned with. Synopsis Whatever I put into Natcon 50, I got much more out of it on both personal and official levels – for which I thank WASFF and the Swancon committee very much. I got stroppy only in the Natcon business session which ran for three argumentative hours then, paradoxically, was seen to be the most productive Natcon business session since 1968 – not so much on account of responses to the issue I raised but on the strength of an unpopular but heretofore stubbornly resistant Ditmar Awards category that was finally thrown out. Shortly after my return I attended a meeting of the Nova Mob, Melbourne‟s SF literary discussion group, where I joined three other Swancon 36 attendees in presenting verbal convention reports. Convention facilities at the Hyatt Regency were perfect for running a science fiction convention, but a bit pricey. It was difficult for the disabled and infirm to get in and out of the hotel but, once inside, you‟re in the lap of luxury. Certainly hotel staff looked after me well, even taking the trouble to carry my bags across the road to the bust stop when I checked out, so that I could take advantage of $1.50 public transport bus trip to the airport. The newly installed swimming pool and sauna facilities were luxurious and used often by me. The Murdoch University Library SF Collections Preservation Fund Swancon 36 introduced a new, and very worthy, fan charity: the Murdoch University Library SF Collections Preservation Fund. Following is the story of why it‟s necessary and how it came to be. After curator Grant Stone‟s departure from the library in July 2010 there were months of conjecture concerning the „in Limbo‟ status of the library‟s significant collections of SF memorabilia. Then, on 13-Jan-2011, Dr Chris Creagh, academic chair of Physics and Nanotechnology and leader of the Murdoch University Speculative Fiction Foundation circulated an e-mail to Western Australian Sf fans detailing categories of material in the collection. She also outlined a plan to catalogue, archive and manage the collection for the benefit of fan researchers as well as Murdoch University‟s staff and students. If the science fiction community is to be a stakeholders in, and a beneficiary of, this initiative, it has to kick in its share of the cash. Gaining access to the treasure trove in the Murdoch University library should be incentive enough, but Chris went further and arranged for any donations ear-marked for the Murdoch University SF Foundation to be made using the university‟s charitable donations form. Such donations then become tax deductible for Australian taxpayers. So, if you want to promote this worthy cause, make a donation yourself and let people know that Murdoch University SF Foundation is.looking for money to be donated via the Donations form: http://library.murdoch.edu.au/forms/donation_scifi_collection.pdf, to care for the SF collections in the Murdoch University Library. MUSF Foundation is looking for a lot of small donations – not necessarily big ones or regular ones – to get things started. All donations are tax deductable and gratefully accepted.” The Australian Science Fiction Distributed Archive Project (ASFDAP) In a separate initiative, Chris Creagh outlined a plan to catalogue, archive and manage the collection for the benefit of fan researchers as well as Murdoch University‟s staff and students. It‟s part of her Australian 9
Science fiction Distributed Archive Project, also launched at Swancon 36, that was explained on pages 9 and 10 of Antipodean Areiopagus 1 (February 2011): http://efanzines.com/Antipodean/AA-01.pdf. The idea is that this web-based community archive should consist of a blog containing pictures of items from the Murdoch Collection and an oral history via posts from enquirers, with the eventual aim of building a data base of the whereabouts of significant items of Sf memorabilia in university archives, community archives and personal collections throughout Australia. Educating academic librarians in the research value of popular culture and their need to interact with people in the science fiction community is an uphill task,. On its part, tbe science fiction community, including small press editors, authors, sercon fanzine editors, Internet bloggers and readers has to recognise the value of the deposit of fan history in University collections. The problem is ease of access, which Cbris Creagh‟s initiatives are addressing on a number of fronts. If there‟s ignorance and apathy on our part, her best efforts will be in vain and we‟ll never be able to stop librarians limiting or denying us access to our cultural heritage or, worse, locking collections away in basements until ignoranuses come across them and throw them out. It didn‟t surprise me to learn that Chris is to be the Fan Guest of Honour at Swancon 37 over Easter next year. Guests of Honour at Swancon 36 International Guest of Honour Australian GoH International Guest of Honour Ellen Datlow (America) Sean Williams Justina Robson (UK)
Fan Guest of Honour Sarah Xu
All four principal guests were enthusiastic participants in the Swancon 36 program and, from all accounts and what I saw, they were worked pretty hard by the committee. The compact hotel convention space lent itself to socialising, especially in the foyer, whose central location made it into a natural Fan Lounge. The guests were all, as I was, impressed with the quality of venue and program items. My favourite personality was Sean Williams, who accepted my gift copy of Antipodean Areopagus 2 (April 2011), then swotted up on the Artificial Intelligence and Mind Transfer article therein and used the material the next day in his panel on the subject. Awesome! And, speaking of awesomely impressive personalities, pictured at right is Angela Slatter, whose anthology of short stories The Girl With No Hands published by Perth-based small press enterprise „Ticonderoga Publications‟ run by Russell B Farr was, in my opinion, the best of the best for sale in the Dealers Room. There‟s a four-page short story in the anthology called The Living Book that‟s a truly memorable read. If this story doesn‟t win major awards, there‟s no justice. 10
Lunch with the stars On the first day of the convention (Thursday 11th April) I met up with three BNFs, Australian Guest of Honour Sean Williams, Awards Presenter Grant Stone and Swancon 36 Programmer Robin Penn and ensconced ourselves in a comfortable corner of one of the hotel‟s better restaurants. We ordered drinks and were just about ready to order our meals when a dozen authors descended on us and suggested we join them. Of course, I wished them at Jericho. We moved to the biggest table in the much less salubrious lower-ground floor cafe restaurant where I had the privilege of sitting next to fantasy author Rob Hood. Grant Stone Achievement awards presented at Swancon 36 In my capacity as awards administrator for the Australian Science Fiction Foundation, I was responsible for overseeing the presentation of two awards The 2011 A. Bertram Chandler Award for lifetime achievement in science fiction went to Melbourne based author and publisher Paul Collins: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asff/collins.htm. The presentation was made by the Foundation‟s Western Australian representative Emma Hawkes and the award was accepted by author Kirstyn McDermott on behalf of Paul, who couldn‟t make it to Swancon. Citations for winners of the A. Bertram Chandler Award since the first one was presented in 1992 (including this one) may be read by visiting: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asff/chandler.htm A handover ceremony was held at Continuum 7, regional SF convention in Paul‟s home city of Melbourne, on 10th June 2011. A report on the event appears after this conreport. -- The 2011 Norma K Hemming Award for race, gender, sexuality, class and disability went to Queensland author Angela Bell writing as A A Bell: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asff/hemming-award-2011.htm for her psychological thriller Diamond Eyes about a blind girl who can see into the past Anita Bell, like the protagonist Mira Chambers in Diamond Eyes, is cursed with terrible eyesight. She‟s also, by her own admission, a lover of multi-layered psychological crime thrillers, science fiction and fantasies – especially those with non-linear time lines. Writing Diamond Eyes gave her a chance to do all that herself, albeit with stacks of twists and in-jokes that, whilst they may be laid on too thick and fast for readers bright enough to know them all, are pitched at about the right level for most of us. Enough of the puns are easy to spot. Other more subtle ones are directed at fans of specific genres. This is a well-written book with interesting and thought-provoking perspectives. The award was presented personally by awards master of ceremonies Grant Stone to the CEO of the Queensland Writers Centre, Kate Eltham (pictured at left), representing the author who was unable to attend Swancon. Swancon 36 Fan Guest of Honour Sarah Xu designed the award trophy (pictured at right). The circular design represents the yonic (in contrast to so many phallic award representations). The boab tree represents the Australian speculative fiction landscape, the boab being uniquely fantastical in itself and the hydra reminding us of diversity within that. The Art Show A major feature of Swancon 36 was a semi-professional art show on the theme Future Imperfect : Exploring the Future from the Past. The exhibits were of very high quality and were faithful to the theme, exploring the way people have historically imagined our present, bringing the past and the future together in new and interesting ways. The exhibition was opened by Eric Ripper, self-confessedd SF geek and Leader of the Opposition in the Western Australian Parliament. As one might expect, he gave an entertaining speech. My favourite pieces were two Robot paintings by Kathryn Linge, who‟s a scientist by day and draws by night. 11
Paul Collins (2011 Chandler Award winner) feted in Melbourne The 2011 A. Bertram Chandler Award: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asff/#chandler was presented at Swancon 36 (the 50th Natcon in Perth, Western Australia) to author Kirstyn McDermott representing the winner, Melbourne-based writer, editor and publisher Paul Collins. To give local fans an opportunity to join in the celebrations, a „hand-over‟ was staged at Continuum 7 (Melbourne‟s regional SF convention) on the evening of June 10th. Paul asked if he could take advantage of the opportunity to launch his young adult novel Mole Hunt: Australian Science Fiction Foundation president Bruce Gillespie conducted the handover. Pictured at the microphone is Paul Collins accepting the award trophy consisting of three elements described below.
Paul is holding the engraved crystal plinth whose normal resting place is in the massive Kosta Boda bowl held by Bruce Gillespie. Kirstyn McDermott holds up the framed Citation penned by author Sean McMullen. Excerpts from the Citation and more pictures from the handover follow... From the 2011 A. Bertram Chandler Award citation... At the age of twenty-one Paul Collins began with a Western novel Hot Lead – Cold Sweat in 1975. He then decided to support his writing career by publishing a science fiction magazine, Void, which provided a venue for new authors, encouraging established authors like Jack Wodhams and Wynne Whiteford to begin writing again, and even reprinting works by overseas authors. In 1978 the magazine morphed into the Worlds anthology series showcasing original Australian science fiction beside some early works of Australian fantasy. Paul had a particular interest in fantasy, and was the first to spot it as a strong, emerging field. 12
In 1981 Paul teamed up with artist Rowena Cory to form the publishing venture Cory and Collins. In all, fourteen books were published, featuring such authors as Keith Taylor and Russell Blackford for fantasy, and A. Bertram Chandler, Wynne Whiteford, Jack Wodhams and David Lake for science fiction. In 1985 Paul ceased publishing to concentrate on his own writing, while supporting himself with a second- hand books and records shop. Two of the twelve dozen works to come out of this period were his cyberpunk novel Cyberskin, which was also published in America and Germany, and the short story collection The Government in Exile. Author and anthologist Jack Dann at the launch In 1994 he took up the editorial blue pencil again as editor of Metaworlds, an anthology of Australia‟s best recent science fiction for Penguin Books. This was soon followed by Strange Fruit, an anthology of rather more outré, literary fantasy. When, in the 1990s, Australian fantasy and science fiction were discovered by commercial publishers, Paul became a major player. His commercial success with fiction was such that he had to sell his shop because he was losing money by not writing full time. In 1999 Paul Collins edited The Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy for Melbourne University Press (MUP), a work which became a major resource for teachers and librarians in search of Australian authors for school reading lists, and which won the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review. In 2001 he won the inaugural Peter McNamara Award for lifetime achievement in SF, even though many of his greatest achievements were still ahead of him. From the mid-90s Paul‟s focus changed to Children‟s and Young Adult literature, which has remained his main area of interest ever since. In 2007 Paul returned to publishing with the launch of Ford Street Publishing. This venture has been very successful, providing an excellent market for both authors and illustrators including, of course, himself. Paul‟s latest novel Mole Hunt is a Ford Street publication. Sean McMullen What Sean McMullen (seen here delivering his prepared speech at the launch) doesn‟t mention in his Citation is that Paul Collins has worked as a pub bouncer, served time in the commandos, has a black belt in both tae kwon do and fu jitsu, was a kick-boxer and trained with the Los Angeles Hell Drivers – essential qualifications, one would think, for his current predilection for writing novels for boys aged 13 to 83. If you‟re a science fiction fan with a Y chromosome, that should whet your appetite for Mole Hunt. If you weren‟t one of the 30 privileged few who bought signed copies at Continuum 7, you‟ll want to visit: http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/index.php/ford-street-titles/172-mole-hunt to secure your copy on line for only $19.95 (Australian Currency). Ed.
13
Exploring Badgerdom with Tim Train
Tim train is a relatively mature (early 30s) poet and raconteur whose performances at trendy pubs in inner suburban Melbourne continue to be rapturously received. He also publishes Badger’s Dozen, an eclectic fanzine for kind and curious creatures in myriad states of being that is distributed not via science fiction fan networks, but by sales from a wall rack at the Sticky Institute: http://www.stickyinstitute.com/. Sticky is a state- sponsored distribution outlet for amateur writers, artists, publishers and creative media fans that is situated in the Degraves Street Subway entrance to Melbourne‟s Flinders Street railway station. Issue number VI features the Ninja Badger, but only on the cover. In it, the Bagdertorial, Tim‟s Lament at Low Levels of Chi in the Australian Landscape arising from a Lack if Investment in Critical Chi Infrastructure, his Astrofengfrenofreudianquantumphysishui- logicalishianists chart (an inclusive assortment of avant-garde astrological observations reprinted below) and other offerings of an epistolary nature are each and every one bereft of Ninja references
14
--
Tim Train: http://willtypeforfood.blogspot.com/ or e-mail: [email protected] 15
Alcochock Springtime is when a young man‟s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of ... sweet wine! At least, that‟s very likely the case if the young man in question is a chocolate lover. It happens when a chubby chap suddenly finds last year‟s swimming togs don‟t fit. Abruptly he is forced to the realisation that all those hours in the gym over winter have had no effect whatsoever in reducing his waistline. It is his moment of truth. “Must I give up chocolate so as to be taut and trim, or surrender to an excess of dissipation?” Succumbing to the latter option is all too common. The problem is that one cannot live by chocolate alone; for chocolate is a bossy obsession that won‟t share the palate‟s taste receptors with anything else. So, including chocolate in other foods, such as chocolate cake, is only part of the solution. One has to eat healthy stuff like meat and vegetables as well, which diminishes the sweetness young people need in their diet to feel sated. Alcohol is needed to cut through chocolate on the palate, so sweet wines appeal as the obvious solution. But the sad truth is that wine and chocolate don‟t often mix. Except in rare combinations either the match is disgusting or the chocolate makes the wine taste balsamic. There are, however, ways of getting the mix right. Fortified wines have more kick and so are less dominated by chocolate than standard dessert wines. Workable combinations include stout, cognac and dark rum; but these so-called successful matches don‟t always work. The alcoholic beverage must be lively enough to have the cut and thrust to war with chocolate on the palate. The mark of a true Epicurean gourmand is unwavering commitment to the art of achieving the ideal taste sensation.. The moral of this piece, if it can be said to have any morality at all, is that when engaged in an excess of dissipation one should take care of one‟s digestion. That‟s because it‟s the only on you‟ll ever have. Bill Wright
16
History of ASFR
John Bangsund was largely responsible for the first incarnation of Australian Science Fiction Review (ASFR), which constitutes what many fan historians regard as the best critical journal of science fiction that fandom has ever produced. The following is a brief history of ASFR, with particular reference to the editor of its first series dating from 1966.
Australian Science Fiction Review began as a result of a discussion at the 7th Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne during Easter 1966. (In fact, there hadn‟t been a science fiction convention in Australia since the 6th Aussie Natcon in 1958). It was felt that the enthusiasm generated during the 1966 convention could best be kept alive by the production of a nationally focused 'small circulation magazine devoted to the discussion of science fiction'. In fact, the fanzine had international reach and influenced the critical evaluation of science fiction worldwide. Pressed to become editor, author Lee Harding nominated John Bangsund. With John as editor, Lee Harding and John Foyster became the staff of the new magazine, Australian Science Fiction Review. The first issue appeared in June 1966. Much later, Rob Gerrand joined the team as assistant editor.
John Bangsund‟s seminal essay on SF fandom – in particular fanzines, and especially Australian fanzines – titled „The Fanzine Phenomenon‟ should be read by everyone who calls himself a science fiction fan. It was first published in The Australian Author (journal of the Australian Society of Authors) in January 1973. It may be found on line at: http://home.pacific.net.au/~bangsund/contents.htm.
A second series of ASFR was published during the 1980s but, through no fault of its editors, it failed to match the genius of the triumvirate, Lee Harding, John Bangsund and John Foyster who were the most prolific contributors to the first series.
Russell Blackford: http://www.meteor.org.au/whos-who/extended- bio-of-russell-blackford/ was part of the editorial collective for the second series, which also included Jenny Blackford, John Foyster, Yvonne Rousseau (Convenor) and Janine Webb.
It is a matter for regret that both series of ASFR exist only as paper zines in collections.
There are no electronic copies anywhere on the Internet, not even on Bill Burns‟s fabulous electronic fanzine archive eFanzines The shocking truth about electronic fanzines http://efanzines.com. (illustration by Miriam English)
Prepared from various sources by Bill Wright in February 2011
17
Floods – February 2011 by John Straede 11-May-2011 Bunyip is a small Victorian bush town with a distinctive name that everyone remembers. John and Truda Straede are the only people I know who actually live there. They breed cats. Ed, -- Thanks to the downpour of February 5th, when we had over 130 millimetres, Bunyip River (also known as The Main Drain) was extremely full and a little upstream of us it broke the levy. When I fed the cats at about 5PM everything appeared normal so we had our dinner which was roast perfectly normal beast, ditto veg and spud and steamed snow peas. We then settled down with a little scotch whisky to watch some of “The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes” when we realized somebody was beating on our back door. A couple of State Emergency Service people had come to advise us to evacuate as there was now a considerable amount of water over the place. We assured them that we were in no danger and anyway we had a large number of animals to look after. They told us that there was more water on its way and left. At this stage our road was covered in about ten centimetre of water. We thought about moving the cats from the boy barn but decided that as they had shelves to which they could escape the water it was unnecessary. We prepared for the worst by picking up rugs and other things that could be water damaged. As we knew that the house floor was also the recorded maximum flood level we were not worried. Then a little later a policeman turned up with similar advice. I checked the flooding and discovered that the water was within about 4cm of the outer edge of the verandah. We still had about another 10cm between the floor boards and the water. Later an SES crew of 4 or 5 turned up with sandbags but as we had nothing to put in them we chatted to them for a few minutes and they left us to our own devices. The water had gone up another centimetre and subsequently rose that much again. Another scotch and the remainder of our program and by the time we went to bed the water level had dropped a couple of centimetre and the following morning almost all the flood had disappeared and Truda was able to get to the kitten show. Subsequently we learn that rather the river did not burst its banks. The levy had already been damaged by people working on the gas and/or water mains that run alongside the Nar Nar Goon – Longwarry road and the water board had failed to perform their duty. They charge us $133.80 a year for this. Possum in the flue John Straede We have had fire and floods. The following may qualify as pestilence. Good Friday evening, Truda heard a long drawn out sound similar to that of finger nails on a blackboard. Sunday morning I heard the scaping of claws on metal coming from the slow combustion stove flue. My first idea was to put a ripe banana in the firebox and hope that I might be able to trap the animal. No luck. The opening into the flue was obviously too small. Next attempt was to get up on the roof and lower a rope down the flue in the hope that it would climb up and escape. Nothing doing. I At first it seemed our new friend had departed but when I put my fingers through the from the firebox to the flue I was bitten. Then I doubled the rope and put it down the flue. And I put a blow heater in the firebox to cause our unwanted boarder some discomfort. The next day, Tuesday, the beast had departed. I modified the flue cap to prevent further incursions and replaced it so this shouldn‟t happen again. John Straede 18
Stefan zone
THIS IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE – NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND NO RULES Visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k and watch the movie. This is a fascinating film clip. A camera was today walking down the street carrying a 26 inch mounted on the front of a street car in San club in their hand. Francisco 104 years ago (1906). Perhaps the This film was "lost" for many years. It was the oldest "home movie" that you‟ll ever see! first 35mm film ever. It was taken by camera I watched it a couple of times. mounted on the front of a cable car. The number Look at the hats the of automobiles is staggering for 1906. The clock ladies were wearing and tower at the end of Market Street at the the long dresses. Some Embarcadero wharf is still there. of the cars had the How many "street cleaning" people were steering wheels on the employed to pick up after the horses? Talk about right side. I wonder going green ! when they standardized on the left? Horse drawn This film was originally thought to be from 1905 vehicles were still in until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent use. Mass transit Film Museum figured out exactly when it was looked like the way to get around. Looks like shot. From New York trade papers announcing everybody had the right of way. the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year Watch the beginning carefully. At the 33 second & actual weather and conditions on historical mark and immediately after an oncoming trolley record, even when the cars were registered (he clears the screen, a well dressed policeman walks even knows who owned them and when the plates across the street from left to right. Notice his right were issued!). It was filmed only four days before hand that he's carrying a truncheon (26 inch police the Great California Earthquake of April 18th baton) and although he appears walking his beat, 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing. he looks ready to use it. Imagine the police of
MELBOURNE‟S WETTEST WEEKEND
Dateline: Friday 11th Feb 2011… We only received water down the old chimneys Werribee received 4.5 inches in all for the Friday / (rain has started to wash away the old grout Saturday. There was an inch of rain while I was between the bricks after 50+ years of dedicated jogging / walking home from the station. service) and in the front room, where the outside We received another inch of rain while I had my gutters had overloaded and water made its way food warming up in the microwave (1 inch in four into the house via the window frame. The garden minutes) then received another 2.5 inches for the and yard were slightly flooded but, apart from that, rest of Friday night and Saturday. everything was OK. THE „BRING BACK THE YELLOW RAINCOAT‟ CAMPAIGN "Well, it looks like the drought is finally over." I bet Noah said the same thing before his Ark started floating away. Someone's turned the tap on upstairs and forgot to turn it off. Last Friday (as reported above) seemed a normal On the way home from the station that night, a day to start with. The weather bozos had large storm dumped a fair bit of rain on me. All predicted 'showers' for Victoria, so I walked to the my showers had come at once. train station. If they'd said flooding rains, I may have driven the car. (These are the same mugs My umbrella was next to useless while my trousers who are attempting to predict years into the future and new work shoes were thoroughly soaked. As to support climate change claims, yet they can't I waded bare-footed through a deep puddle near even get a 24-hour forecast right) 19 home, I thought - "This wouldn't have happened in or Chinese, they‟ll turn them into viruses to help the good old days !". quickly spread the campaign around the world. It's true. No matter how much it rained in the old Soon the Yellow Raincoat will appear on the days, my trusty yellow raincoat kept me dry and catwalks of the world. Anyone who's anyone will my gumboots meant no water touched my feet. I begin to wear them, even when it's not raining. don't know why they were withdrawn. They may You won‟t see a Hollywood or Bollywood have been banned by the government because they „celebrity‟ without one. They'll have these Rave contained dangerous chemicals or something, like parties where you have to wear a Yellow Raincoat everything we used to enjoy in the 70's and 80's. just to get in. The Armed Forces will be issued with camouflaged versions of them, although the Well, enough is enough ! It's time to start the raincoats will still be yellow on the inside. „Bring Back the Yellow Raincoat‟ Campaign. If I knew how, I'd “photo-shop” some pictures of I ask that you join me this Friday on the steps of politicians and celebrities (they're not much use for Parliament House to support my campaign. anything else) so they're wearing Yellow Yellow Raincoats will be provided. Raincoats and circulate them around the so-called Unfortunately it will have to be weather permitting „web‟. While I'm at it, I'll have a go at shortening as the „Bring Back the Gumboots‟ Campaign starts ol' Gilla Monster's nose to near-normal size. If I next week. could get a few pictures delivered to the Russians
NEW TO STEFAN TV – THE 2011 POLITICAL POKER TOURNAMENT Stefan TV is proud to host the 2011 Political Misfortunes poker tournament where state and federal treasurers battle it out in this all-action blockbuster. Watch all the suspense and excitement this Friday night at 11pm on Stefan TV. Here's a sneak peak: “Hi, and welcome to another Political Misfortunes poker tournament, where state and federal treasurers win and lose their states' surplus in the blink of an eye. “Just recapping on the games before the break and it was Queensland and WA that were initially successful when they laid out a Mining Boom each and won their hands; Victoria lost after getting a Locust Plague; Tasmania's lost a hand after their bid was wrapped in eco-environmentally-friendly green bio-degradable ribbon while NSW seems only able to bet on Shonky Political Promises tonight and have paid for it in the opinion polls. The Federal Government is already out of the game after going all in on a hand containing only Climate Change and Global Warming. “Here's the next hand... And it's Queen first. Yes, she'll be out later this year for the CHOGM conference. The Prince may follow ... No, the next “Victoria discards Brumby and Labor and gets a card down is Summer Rains. Hasn't this turned up Coalition Government and Crop Damage in return. a lot lately ? At first it was welcomed, but now Not quite the result they were after. it‟s seen as a nuisance. They‟ll have to watch Crop Damage to ensure it “NSW folds immediately. WA also gets out after doesn't continue or it may impact their returns. being burned around Perth last round. SA and Tasmania consider their lot, then quietly fold. It's “Queensland had discarded Noah's Ark and ask for down to a battle between Victoria and Queensland. two. They seem to be pinning all their hopes on Mining Boom again. Their first new card is Fine
20
Weather For Now. How long that will last is earlier. Queensland is content to sit for a while anyone‟s guess. Oh, no. Unfortunately they've and wait to see what happens. They have already picked up Cost Blowouts as their second. Not a lost a lot of money two rounds ago due to being good start for the round, especially with an dealt Government Mismanagement and don't want election coming up. to lose any more before the election. “The third card down is Interest Rate Rises. This “Here comes the River card.... OH NO ! It's card won't help either state as they each have large FLOODS ! Queensland immediately bets debts leading into this tournament. sandbags and Victoria sees their sandbags and raises them higher, but is it too little, too late ? I “Oh ! The fourth card down is the Deluge card. don't even know if their insurers will cover them It's not surprising, really. Since we've seen so for their losses here...” much of Summer Rains lately, Deluge was sure to be on the cards. Victoria is closely monitoring Find out more when the show airs this Friday their Deluge, after picking up Crop Damage night.
THE BREAKUP
No one seems sure how to handle the news this ten things in common and I haven't even started week that NAB has 'broken loose' from the other yet. "Nothing in common?" What a bunch of three major banks to 'go its own way'. On all liars. forms of media, NAB told Australians that it was I don't know whether this ad is worse than last over between it and the others. I'm wondering year's "More Give, less take" ad campaign, where whether their breakup letter hides an admission of the bank seemed to condone bullying behaviour the collusion they've been denying all these years. and compared their customers to a whimpering They say that they've grown apart from, and have boy who seemingly should have been happy when 'Nothing in common' with, the other banks. he received his stolen property back. It could just Hmm, so they're not offering home loans like other be their advertising company has ratcheted banks ? Oh, they still are. Well, that's one thing stupidity up another level. Remind me to give they've got in common. What about business them a card from my own Stefan & Stefan loans ? Those too ? Gosh, that's two things in advertising agency. common. The only good thing this new breakup campaign How about bank deposits and term deposits ? has done is to move Warnie and Chucker, sorry, Debit and Credit Cards ? Financial Advice ? Hurler off the front of the paper. Made a few billion dollars profit recently ? Been That's something the other banks haven't been able investing in dodgy overseas ventures ? Still to achieve. losing money to bad debts ? Heck, that's about
STEFAN‟S INNOVATION 2 – THE REPLACEMENT OF MONEY their staff electronically instead of the old pay Today's innovation focuses its dirty paws on packets filled with actual cash. Credit cards have Money. Specifically, the replacement of money. sprung up so you can spend money you don't Money is such a dirty word in parts of today's actually have. Banks use mirrors to replace $1 of society that I thought it time we did some laundry. investment with $100 of lending. Dodgy stock People associate money with fat cats in their ivory market companies help replace invested money towers when, in reality, the cat's weight may be with nothing and the Labor governments have hereditary, due to glands or even an overindulging done their bit by turning budget surpluses into on rare native birds rather than eating too much deficits within their first term in office, guaranteed. money. If I saw a cat eating money, I‟d immediately suspect the Beagle Boys. Also, cats Now we come to my proposal. I reckon it's too in ivory towers are few and far between. Most live confusing continuing to have all these different on an old cushion in one of the back rooms. currencies around the world. We need a global Over history there have been many attempts made solution. I'd like to propose a phasing out of to replace hard currency. Most employers now pay money and replace it with a system that is based on 21 a mixture of an Airlines Reward Scheme and Now that the government is involved, I have to fit Trading Cards. Instead of being paid money for in with their way of doing things, so the first thing working, you will be paid in Australian Reward you'll notice is that I've done no work on the Scheme points. Obviously it's called the proposal other than coming up with the idea. I can "Australian" Reward Scheme because we thought give you a quick view as to how I see the scheme of it first. It's in a similar situation to that of the operating: "English" Language which is used, somewhat Everyone in the world will be set up with a haphazardly, around the world. Rewards account by the same company that set up It's such a big project that I'll be splitting it in two Myki accounts in Victoria. All work you do will parts. The first part is the phasing out of currency earn points. If you're lucky enough to build up and the second is the phasing in of the "Australian" enough points, you may afford to purchase Reward Scheme. I was going to implement it something, like a key chain with the company logo these past few years with the help of the federal or a monogrammed bath towel. It's that simple, government, but they had their hands full with but also complicated at the same time in a neo- Cash for Clunkers, the Building the Education mythical way. Revolution, the Pink Batts, the National Seeing as you don't need money any more, just Boredband, sorry, Broadband Network, etc. I drop the dirty stuff over my place and I'll help booked it in for next year and the next thing I dispose of it ... in "environmentally friendly" ways, know they're going to be busy installing set top of course. If enough people continue to drop off boxes for pensioners and trying to work out how their old money to me, I'll guarantee my their carbon tax will work, so expect some delays. "sustainability" as well.
I‟M GREENER THAN YOU No, this has nothing to do with the aftermath of a If the councillors were advocates of the green rough trip on a dodgy cruise liner. In another case religion, they would have claimed that due to of the green religion gone feral, Yarra Council has global warming, the earth is actually warm enough voted to introduce a fee for shops using outdoor that heaters are irrelevant and no blankets are heaters. They say they're trying to reduce carbon necessary. Just think 'warm'. emissions. Maybe if they didn't hold long-winded Those infected by the new religion have told us not council talk-fests, they could save the planet within to use cars, not to use electricity, not to eat meat the year. from methane producing cattle, turn off our lights If traders actually rip out their existing heaters, the ... It may be easier if they tell us what we can do - council will graciously provide them with a few it will be a much smaller list. Where will all this blankets so diners won't get cold. Maybe they can Chicken Little "The Sky is falling" end up ? also supply mini blankets for the food so it doesn‟t Should we go back to living in caves, unable to go cold ?? I don't know about you, but my dining move lest our actions destroy the delicate eco- experience won't be enhanced if I have to drape balance of the earth and kill an ant in Brazil ? some lice-infested, food-stained blanket over me to I'm unsure when their 'science' turned into religion. keep warm. Unless, of course, they need to wash Possibly around the same time their predictions of and dry the blanket after each use which would the world ending weren't coming true. then lead to more of those pesky carbon emissions being produced than the original heater would have Put out the light, then put out the light. If I quench produced. Up there for thinking ! thee, thou flaming monster, surely I will save thy planet ? Thenst pass me thy blanket for ist be You can tell these councillors aren't really 100 % cold. into the green religion - it's all to do with looking like you're doing something that matters. (Most of Stefan us accomplish this successfully each day at work.)
Stefan Zone Exit →
22
From Great Grandmother’s Medicine Chest
A bottle of Bayer's 'Heroin'
Between 1890 and 1910 heroin was sold as a non-addictive substitute for morphine. It was also used extensively as a cough mixture for children.
Edited by Bill Wright and prepared in Melbourne, Australia, for publication in Anzapa #261 Junel2011 and for display on eFanzines: http://www.efanzines.com