Comments for Mark O'Meara

Comment on The Stern Gaze by rad

rad — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:05:15 +0000

That is a great photo of you! Well done to the student who took it.

Comment on Outliers by mark

mark — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:41:38 +0000

The version on audible is only 7 hours long and seems to be complete. It’s a very quick read on paper.

Comment on Outliers by Andy

Andy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:40:48 +0000

I was going to listen to the audio book, but its 10 000 hours long…. Its supposed to be a brilliant read, though.
Waiting for the abridged version.

Comment on Outliers by My Twaddle on Twitter for 2010-02-07

My Twaddle on Twitter for 2010-02-07 — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:00:37 +0000

[...] HomeAbout « Outliers [...]

Comment on Outliers by Addie

Addie — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:36:17 +0000

Mark,
I am still reading, but I think your change idea is important because it makes being an outlier more accessible to anyone, rather than believing that it is not possible.

Comment on Outliers by mark

mark — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:17:08 +0000

I’d certainly recommend that you read the whole book, since my snapshot was pretty quick and somewhat subjective. Having said that, and I know this is obvious, trust your judgement above anything that you read in a book.

Comment on Outliers by Fiona

Fiona — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:17:34 +0000

Sounds fascinating. Going to try and get a copy of the book. Point No. 2 is concerning me (as we are still messing about at J’s school re: grade placement.)

Comment on He Mean A Lexus by rad

rad — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:45:23 +0000

Brilliant! Colourful language – it’s the Western district way.

Comment on My Twaddle on Twitter for 2010-01-31 by mark

mark — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:20:48 +0000

Thanks for the heads-up.

Comment on My Twaddle on Twitter for 2010-01-31 by rad

rad — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:39:26 +0000

I took Dan to see Tooth Fairy the other day. He enjoyed it, but you should be most grateful that you missed it.

Comment on Word for Monday: Skedaddle by sarah g

sarah g — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:13:22 +0000

i love it. i didn’t know it originated in scotland – it would sound beautiful (and quite different) in that accent. teach me more

Comment on Word for Monday: Skedaddle by Shannon

Shannon — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:03:10 +0000

Get Out!

It’s great. I think it’s a fun way to bring a word to life. My only nit-picky feedback is that the list of synonyms has some spacing issues.

Comment on Word for Monday: Skedaddle by Fiona

Fiona — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:09:14 +0000

Absolutely love it. Don’t know why, but it really makes the content stick in my head. I’m thinking I might put some sight words into a Prezi for J. to practise. I think the movement aspect would keep him interested. If I could figure out how to use it!

Comment on Marketing A Record Online by Sarah G

Sarah G — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:08:10 +0000

Music fans buy music…other people tend to steal it or make do with the radio. This music fan uses Myspace to look up a band that I’ve heard of or heard on the radio to see if I like any of their other songs… 3 or 4 songs is usually enough. Even if you only have one song off the new album, then some faves off previous albums it can give you a sense of the band’s style.

There is someone on DIG (digital ABC) who is a DC/WZ fan – I’ve been listening every couple of days and they have played a DC/WZ song every time. I wrote to thank them the other day – not sure if it passed the moderator, but that type of feedback from ‘the public’does help influence playlists. They also do a great weekly email newsletter which I respect and often look up featured artists. Their links to local radio are good – I’d recommend trying to do a live set which is broadcast online and recordings used on dig, web and local radio to get word out about the album and its style.

Other media – Drum Media, the good newspaper entertainment blurbs – Gather your contacts and start chatting… either directly or via your twitters, facebooks, etc.

Like Mark says, we’re all part of the broader media now… we’ll all get on line and promote the album on facebook, twitter, other mailing lists, dc mailing list… this first seed, just knowing the album is coming, is a great first step. Now, the next messages need to be designed. How will it make me feel? Who will like it (should I buy a few copies for my family members and mates)? Who are these people? Do I like them? Am I like them? What are the themes? When can I hear it? Where will I get it? When can I see it played live?

Re touring, I’ve never done the maths on cost/benefit with doing your own tour versus planning a calendar of festivals (including the work and timing and ‘bids’ during the application process). I would think that a new album, no recent tours, and an increased profile from the Qld Arts Festival would make them an attractive inclusion in the next summer/autumn run of festivals (Queenscliff, Woodford, Corinbank, Apollo Bay, Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, National)

I’m still behind the times – I need a cd in my hands, so I haven’t bought anything off i-tunes or other electronic forum – am I alone there? It’s possible I would buy it through i-tunes if it was available a significant amount of time before the album (a month?) but otherwise I’d rather find it at Fish Records or at a gig.

Don’t know if that’s helped, but it’s my first 22c for now.

Comment on Marketing A Record Online by Rach

Rach — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:28:00 +0000

I wouldn’t know the difference between my space and twitter, although I’ve certainly heard lots of bands have myspace pages. But online social networking sites seem to be the way to go.

Definitely agree with setting up a group and album page on facebook, I’d certainly become a fan.

I’m a huge fan of the group tours, you know, festivals and broad and things like that. I’m sure they’re trickier to organise, and I’m not sure how much your friends can tour now the kids are older, but I’d have thought that would get them exposed to people who are a little outside their usual.

Comment on Marketing A Record Online by mark

mark — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:26:49 +0000

So, would it be enough to have a MySpace page with a couple of songs and a photo. I have never used it myself, being entirely the wrong age.

Comment on Marketing A Record Online by Mad Hamish

Mad Hamish — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:04:15 +0000

As I understand it Myspace is still the main one for music.

Comment on Ride by rad

rad — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:20:53 +0000

That sounds like a lot of ks to me!
You should be rather pleased with yourself.

Comment on Close to the End by mark

mark — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:46:30 +0000

I’m not sure those resources are useful to anyone but my students. However, I’m happy to share and it’s lovely to be appreciated.

Comment on Close to the End by Fiona

Fiona — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:26:54 +0000

Sounds like you have had a very idyllic holiday.
Good luck for back-to-work and thanks for the link to the teaching resources over on the side there = >>>> (you’ve done a lot now!)

Comment on Science Experiment by Fiona

Fiona — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:18:41 +0000

That’s fantastic. And the Scooby story was awesome!

Comment on Dog of a Different Colour by Helen

Helen — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:58:02 +0000

Our little foxy would certainly qualify. Mark calls her a blowfly on a string.

Comment on The Old Ways by mark

mark — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:32:11 +0000

With that stadium, it changes name so often that I have never known what to call it. Is it Telstra Dome, Optus Oval, The Colonial Oval, Etithal Central or something else? It has become That Big Oval Of Many Names.

Comment on Two of Us by Fiona

Fiona — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:19:37 +0000

You both look very relaxed. Great pic by Finn!

Comment on The Old Ways by jojo

jojo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:31:25 +0000

Telstra dome

Comment on Marketing A Record Online by jojo

jojo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:24:55 +0000

apparently, and I shudder to mention it, Myspace is also good for musicians, although I am not sure if it is for those who are older than 13.

Comment on The Old Ways by mark

mark — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:23:17 +0000

I do use Uluru but persist with the Tennis Centre, Jeff’s Shed, Princes Park and Channel 2.

Comment on The Old Ways by Helen

Helen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:55:19 +0000

Guilty as charged – just can’t get my head around “Southern Cross” and I travel there a bit these days. Then there’s the tennis centre (now Rod Laver Arena I think?), Ayers Rock and the Grampians, which both have their proper Aboriginal names now, but I don’t know what they are. Oh and simply irreverant names like Jeff’s Shed.

Comment on The Old Ways by Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:49:17 +0000

3lo for 774

Comment on Rhetoric Presentation by mark

mark — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:44:35 +0000

Yes. Ennui. It always make the think of Loreli’s ennui bit. Now I might need to work out which episode it is in.

Comment on Rhetoric Presentation by rad

rad — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:38:02 +0000

ennui?

Comment on The New School by mark

mark — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:52:40 +0000

It used to be a straight-forward primary school but now it is nominally a P-9. There is a senior school for 10,11 and 12 close by. Next year, they will have prep through to seven and I guess they’ll work up to the nines.

Comment on The New School by Fiona

Fiona — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:41:44 +0000

Sounds great. Does the school go P-12 like many of the new ones?

Comment on Spoken For by mark

mark — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:43:11 +0000

I figure that when it comes to spokes, I might just pony up and let the fellas the bike show do that. From what little I understand, I am more likely to make the wheel worse than better.

You are welcome to come down for a ride any time. You could come out for a ride with me for a few hours and stay for dinner and time with Nicky and the kids.

Comment on The Joy of Teaching by Helen

Helen — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:26:57 +0000

That’s more than I’ve earned in a while! Salary issues aside, it’s a pleasure to read someone say something good about their job.

Comment on Spoken For by Helen

Helen — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:25:19 +0000

Hi there after a considerable absence (mine, not yours). I reckon you’re game replacing spokes. Mark has a truing jig just like this one (http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Deluxe-Bicycle-Wheel-Truing/dp/B000AO7GDK). About the only I manage to do with it is figure out that my wheel is not true and ask him to “tune it up” for me. I’ve watched him tweak and tweak a wheel to get it right. Maybe that’s been your problem? You’ve replaced the broken spoke, but not been able to “tune up” the others? New bits and pieces are always nice anyway! Still got to get down and test out some of your favourite trails.

Comment on The Joy of Teaching by mark

mark — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:54:32 +0000

It is a shame there are not more courses that you can knock over by correspondence in a single year. Give how little was in the course I did, it could have been completed in three months in the evenings.

The starting salary, a little over fifty thousand, isn’t horrible but many people by their thirties and forties have worked their way into much more than that.

Comment on The Joy of Teaching by Kristen

Kristen — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:45:57 +0000

I’m already sold. But it’s difficult to take a year off from paid work and then go into an OK but not great salary (at the start). It’s a bit of a financial disincentive to make the switch. but maybe the holidays would make up for that …

Comment on The Holidays Are Almost Over by mark

mark — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:38:14 +0000

I am so sick of teachers whining about their lot in life. We get to work with lots of nice kids (and some ratty ones). The holidays and hours are terrific. We get to continuously learn. We get a lot of say in how we do our job, day to day. Sure, it’s not a mountain of money but, as a complete package, it’s terrific.

If people knew it was this good, lots of people would aspire to being a teacher.

Comment on The Holidays Are Almost Over by Eilis

Eilis — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:47:21 +0000

i love teachers who admit that their holidays are actually really good!

Comment on Rise and Fall by rad

rad — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:17:23 +0000

You really need to stop listening to slabs of plastic.

Comment on Welcome by Eilis

Eilis — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:07:16 +0000

nice. i hope to see it on my commute one day.

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by mark

mark — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:06:08 +0000

Have you given to this worthy cause, too?

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by Eilis

Eilis — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:38:17 +0000

yes! the begging frankston dwarf! he’s truly legendary.

Comment on Inside Creatures by rad

rad — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:58:53 +0000

The furry fairy pictures are brilliant!

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by mark

mark — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:51:50 +0000

That’s amazing. On the bright side, after all these years, he is a little closer to Frankston.

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by David

David — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:16:56 +0000

The Frankston dwarf is still alive and well. Shortly before Christmas, I was walking into a parking bunker in a shopping centre in the inner Eastern suburbs when I passed a dwarf leaning on a motorist’s side window. As I passed, I heard him say to the motorist: “Excuse me, mate, but I’ve lost me wallet and I just need ….”

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by mark

mark — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:59:23 +0000

I think I remember her, or someone like her. She would have been fifty at least and wore a powder-blue raincoat. She would often be in the stairwell of Parliament Station and would have a series of texta-drawn signs. One week it would be a sick daughter and the next she could have cancer.

Comment on Twenty Two Dollars, Short by Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:45:24 +0000

Years ago I used to see a very thin, middle-aged woman in blue raincoat regularly asking people for change, around Centre Place in the City, and also around Lygon St. I think her story was she’d lost her wallet. It worked once on me.

One could always offer to buy them a Metcard to get home to Frankston and see if they accepted.

Comment on Different Spokes by mark

mark — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 04:33:11 +0000

Since we went into town, I didn’t actually get his done today. It might be better to wait until I actual manage to get the bike rolling again. Should only be a day or two now.