There were six of us, Sandra, Louise, James, David, Craig and me at the ABBA fest at my place on Sat arvo.
Sandra and Louise arrived early to discuss costume-making, and were decked out in 70s gear, ABBA badges and T-shirts, flared embroidered jeans, denim and faux fur trim jackets. Sandra had a special gold custom-made ABBA bracelet Louise had given her as a present for being her bridesmaid. I was wearing an ABBA T-shirt and ABBA bracelet.
Am in a TV ad vox popping for ABBAWorld in Melbourne. “Seeing the costumes was just fantastic.”
after one of our regular jaunts to see ABBA – The Movie with about 150 other cinemagoers at the Valhalla, Glebe, we went back to Sandra and Louise’s place for what ended up as a 12-hour ABBA viewing marathon.
Aussie ABBA fans
We watched endless videos of ABBA in Japan, ABBA in Poland, ABBA in Germany, ABBA in Switzerland, ABBA in the UK … we finally ran out of videos to watch and had to beg Sandra and Louise to let us stay and watch old Countdown specials which featured two seconds of ABBA at the end of each one for 14 weeks when Fernando was Number 1 in the Top Ten.
We couldn’t get enough and none of us were leaving until the last music roll had been played on their antique pianola. Michele, Sandra and Louise were excellent at pianolaing and Money, Money, Money was given new life in a rousing interpretation.
We admired their rare Bjorn and Agnetha dolls, pillows, hat, scrapbooks, magazines and Pekingnese dog named Toby-Bjorn, due to its uncanny resemblance to an ABBA member’s pugnacious squashed-up face.
Louise had whipped up homemade Rocky Road, thus ensuring she’ll be invited to every ABBA fest in the future. The spread included gummi snakes, lollies, dips, fizzy drinks, with frankfurts and sausage rolls for the main course – essential foods for sustaining the marathon effort for viewing endless versions of Thank You For The Music. TC made a special guest star appearance but left early to go to his covetable job of DJing at a remote westie hotel in Pendle Hill.
“Usual problem with the drainage in the lower field…”
“Ted, are you interested in French cinema at all, Ted?”
“I wouldn’t know about that sir…”
“Are you doing anything on Friday Ted?”
“No, you misunderstand me Ted, I did mean in the evening… Do you like Tina Turner, Ted?”
Went to the Press Freedom Media dinner held by the MEAA and Walkley Foundation to mark World Press Freedom Day. We were reminded of the deaths of 32 journalists in the Philippines on November 23 last year (it was pre-meditated – an excavator was nearby to bury the bodies and cars) and how journalists risk death or jail, even in Australia, while working for the greater good.
It was a beautiful Sunday arvo. Traipsed out west to support the Refugee Action Coalition in a clash with the right-wing Australian Protectionist Party. The APP had organised the rally because they think Rudd should go back to Howard’s Pacific Solution. I listened to their speech and they actually think the Pacific Solution wasn’t harsh enough, our borders should be completely closed to “illegals” (what they call people who flee for their lives without having valid passports and entry visas sorted out a year beforehand).
Lead story in SMH.
“We should take up smoking again. It’s safer than getting fat.”
– “Smoking makes you less fat. Maybe that’s why it’s safer.”
Turns out it’s a numbers thing — less smokers and more obesity.
Went to see a film, Business Behind Bars, about overcrowding in Australian prisons, and governments turning to the private sector to manage and own correctional facilities. It looked at private prison entrepreneurs and the different approaches in providing correctional systems in Australia and the US. Then there was a discussion led by Professor David Brown, who teaches criminal law, criminal justice and crime prevention courses at UNSW.
Went to a ponyplay workshop held by Mistress Circe and pony shyanne who had originally met as ponies and are in a 24/7 D/S relationship.
They’re encouraging people to get involved and take part in pony gymkhanas. They gave us a nine-page handout, which included several photos and details on how to do ponyplay positions and shamanism. More details, visit their website at ozfetishgirls.com.
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