Rewarding Teaching Excellence

One of my big projects at work over the past year has been the development of teacher performance pay models for the Victorian context. The culmination of this work was the release of the Rewarding Teaching Excellence Blueprint Implementation Paper by the Minister of Education in August. The paper explores the purpose for rewarding teaching excellence, the national and international evidence, the two models developed for Victoria, and the trials in Victorian schools. Starting next year two models will be trialled in schools- individual teacher rewards and whole school rewards. The evaluation of the trials will determine whether or not there is a broader roll out of one or both of the models throughout the state.

Melbourne Cup 2009

Today is a public holiday in Melbourne as it's the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse. Unlike last year where I actually frocked up and attended, this year I enjoyed the event from the comfort of my couch. At 3:00 pm the race that stops the nation began at a windy and overcast Flemington and it was Shocking who ended up winning- which was a shock because Viewed and Alcopop were the favorites. In the office sweep I had Zavite as my pick, so unfortunately I won't be getting any money when I go back to work tomorrow.

National Blog Posting Month

This month I have decided to participate in National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo for short. The goal is to post at least once a day over the 30 days in November. It is a spin off of National Novel Writing Month, which challenges people to write an entire novel during November. Hopefully I will be able to come up with enough material to post for the whole month. Wish me luck!

Oh Mercy Privileged Woes Tour

Last night Belinda came and picked me up and we headed out for dinner at Mexicali Rose. I had a burrito again (this time with chicken) and we also shared some dessert- a chocolate taco with chocolate mousse, bits of brownie, fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. After finishing we headed down to The Corner Hotel for the last night of Oh Mercy's Privileged Woes tour. We caught the second act, Washington, which consists of Megan Washington and her band. Her music was good, and I enjoyed her countryish cover of Sublime's "Santeria."

Oh Mercy came out to the sound of birds and Alex handed out fruit to the front row. The band played songs from the In The Nude For Love EP and a majority of the Privileged Woes album. The biggest response from the sold out crowd was for the singles which have been played on Triple J: "Seemed Like A Good Idea," "Lay Everything On Me," and "Get You Back." My favorites for the evening were "Salvation Jane," "In My Stride," "In Good Time," and "Broken Ears." We were also lucky enough to get two brand new songs, including one with Thomas on lead vocals. They finished their hour long set with a song from The Triffids. The band have been on the road for so long I am sure they are excited to finally be home.

Little Red

I had a very interesting tram ride down to Richmond last night as the tram was chockers with a large group of senior citizens. My guess that they were heading to Rod Laver Arena was correct as about 40 people got off at that stop. I could also see more groups of older people streaming down from the pedestrian bridge but had no idea who was playing (turns out it was Andre Rieu). Tash also got caught in the Rieu traffic, but we eventually met up at Mexicali Rose so I could treat her to a belated b-day dinner. After eating and chatting we headed down the block to The Corner Hotel for a one off show by Little Red before they head to London for some shows in November.

When we arrived The Box Rockets were playing their set. I really should like this band because they have an 80's British guitar inspired sound, but I still find them to be dull. The next band, The Vasco Era certainly weren't boring and had lots of energy in their set of bluesy rock. I was, however, concerned about singer's throat as his screams sounded like he was shredding his vocal cords.

Little Red came out to lots of cheers from the hometown crowd. The set was an equal mix of new songs and ones from their debut album. There were also a few older new songs like "Lazy Boy" (complete with a faster chorus), "In My Bed," and "Rock Until The Break of Day." Many of the new songs show a maturity and growth in the band's sound but still have elements like the harmonies that you identify with Little Red. The Hunters & Collectors horn section came out to play on several songs and Wilbur Wilde played saxophone on "Jackie Cooper" (as he did on the album). The boys played for an hour and finished up the set with "Coca Cola" and "It's Alright" before coming back on for an encore of "Fight Song." I hope the band have a successful trip to the UK to launch their album Listen to Little Red and also start working on recording the new one.

The Worst Album Cover of All Time?

I adore Adam Lambert and thought he was brilliant on American Idol, but I cannot believe how shockingly bad his debut album cover is:


Not only is it hideous and dated, but it reminds me of this:


Do you really want me thinking of Tiffany when pondering whether or not to buy your album Adam? It does not give me great confidence about how it will sound. I am hoping the cover is not a reflection of your music, because if it is your career may be over before it even started.

Sarah Blasko

Last night I met up with Tash and her sister at The Forum Theatre to see Sarah Blasko. The opening act was Sweden's El Perro Del Mar (aka Sarah Assbring). She was accompanied for her set by a guitarist and also used some percussion loops for the songs.

Sarah and her band came out and launched into "Down On Love." The entire first set contained songs from her brilliant new album As Day Follows Night. Sarah was wearing the most amazing white dress with these huge structural puffy sleeves. A few songs in she revealed a heart on the front of the dress, and then closer to the end of the set she opened up the top part of the sleeves to reveal this kaleidoscope of geometric shapes in different colors. She finished the set by playing a couple of songs from the bonus Cinema Blasko disk: "Seems Like Old Times" and "Xanadu." After a costume change Sarah came back out and played a second set of songs from her first and second albums. The nearly 2 hour show was excellent and all the songs from the new album were both beautiful and touching. It was definitely one of the best concerts I have seen this year.

Liam Finn and Eliza Jane

Last night I headed down to The Corner Hotel for the launch of Liam Finn and Eliza Jane's new EP Champagne In Seashells. The first act for the evening was singer-songwriter Matt Walters who played a nice solo set on acoustic guitar. Up next was Adelaide band Leader Cheetah who sound like a mix of Neil Young and Fleet Foxes. I really enjoyed many of their songs and they are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Liam and EJ came out to loud cheers from the sold out crowd and launched into "Plane Crash." The set was a mix of songs from the new EP and ones from the I'll Be Lightning album. There was the usual banter and Liam is still using loops to layer samples of different instruments and build up the songs. Highlights of the set were "Long Way To Go," "Energy Spent," "Remember When," "I'll Be Lightning" and "Lead Balloon." Liam also played "Red Wine Bottle" off the new 7 Worlds Collide album after someone in the audience requested it. During the encore Elroy Finn came out to play drums on a couple songs, including "This Place Is Killing Me." It was a great and entertaining evening and I'm glad to see Liam continue to gain more success as a solo artist.

Here is a clip of Liam and EJ performing "Long Way To Go" on Sunrise earlier in the week:

The Basics Overseas Fundraiser Show

Tonight I met up with Tash and Mary at The Empress Hotel for a very special evening with The Basics to help fund their upcoming trip to the UK. At a bargain price of $5 and the promise of two sets of old material, there was no way we were going to miss this show.

Sadly Tim was the only one wearing his grey suit. Kris said they had recently done a photo shoot wearing the suits in some water and they shrank on them. He was surprised Tim still managed to fit into his. As advertised we got over an hour and a half of music from the boys. They started off with the traditional opening number "Yeah, Yeah" complete with dance moves. It was great to hear some rare songs live such as "Bitten by the Same Bug," "She's Gonna B. Late," "That Girl," and "Second Best." We even got some new songs off the upcoming album Keep Your Friends Close such as "No. 1 Cause of Death Amongst Youth Today," "With This Ship" and "The Executioner." There were also the usual amounts of covers played, including Neil Young's "Old Man" and Cold Chisel's "Flame Trees." The night finished off with a rocking version of "Call It Rhythm and Blues" and The Police's "Roxanne." It was so nice to see the boys and hear those sweet harmonies again. I look forward to the new album finally being released on September 25th and seeing them on their proper album tour in November.

The Cuckoos EP Launch

Last night Belinda and I headed to The Birmingham Hotel on Smith Street for what could have been deemed an evening with the Little Red side project bands. This was the first time I have been to The Birmy, and the band room looks like a 1970's den with all the wood panelling. First up for the evening was Taka's band The Hondas. I hadn't seen them since they got a new bass player, and Jarrad sort of has a Phil Lesh look and vibe to him. All three members traded off on lead vocal duties and Taka was shaking his hair all set long. Almost all of the songs were ones I haven't heard before.

Next on stage was The Toot Toot Toots, who had go go dancers to complement their set. They were very entertaining and their sound is sort of a psychobilly/70's rock mix. After them was Dom's band The Greasers. Their set was half songs from their album and half new stuff. Highlights were "No Love Left" and "Shelly."

Last but not least was Tom and Quang's band The Cuckoos. This show was to launch their EP "Perfect View", which I purchased at the door. They have only played a handful of shows, but they sounded great and are a throwback to 50's rock (not a surprise when you consider Tom's Little Red songs). They even had some horn players on a couple of the songs. All in all it was a good night, and I really hope that Little Red gets into the studio soon to record their second album.

Working on my Fitness

No, I have not fallen off a cliff into a deep, dark hole. Instead I have been spending lots of time over the past month at my brand new sparkling gym, the Virgin Active Health Club on Bourke Street. It is good to be exercising again as I quit my old gym over a year ago since I didn't go enough. When I heard that a Virgin gym was going to be opening so close to work I was very excited. I signed up in March, but unfortunately it took them until mid-July to finally open. The wait was worth it though as the place is fantastic. They have five different exercise rooms, a pool, rock climbing wall, a whole floor of machines and weights and even a cafe. My goal is to hit the gym after work 3-4 times a week, which I have been achieving. I am doing a wide variety of classes- yoga, pilates, kickboxing, Body Pump (weights) and spin. So far, so good and I hope to maintain a regular exercise schedule as we head into the spring and summer months.

Awkward Conversations with Management

This afternoon my Group Manager (female) came up to me and said the following:

G.M.: Would you like to go speed dating on Monday?

Me: What?

G.M.: You heard me. Speed dating.

Me: Ummm, I already have plans on Monday night, so..

G.M.: I mean for the Division meeting. We are going to have people talk about their projects while others rotate around the tables.

Me: Oh, I guess that's okay then.

I was horrified for a good minute there. Context is very important in conversations.

Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire

Today after work Mel and I went to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the exhibit Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire. This is the first comprehensive retrospective of Salvador Dali's work ever to be staged in Australia and it brings together more than 200 of his works from throughout his career in all media including painting, drawing, watercolour, etchings, sculpture, fashion, jewellery, cinema and photography.

Dali's style transformed greatly throughout the years. It was almost overwhelming to see and try to digest all the various pieces in the exhibit. I hadn't realized how many different things he was involved in, including working with Alfred Hitchcock and even producing a line of jewellery. My favorite part though was being able to watch the work he did with Walt Disney in 1946 that was turned into the 2003 animated short film "Destino". If you are in Melbourne you should definitely check out the exhibit, which is open until October.

endota spa

Today after work I headed over to the endota spa on Flinders Lane to finally take advantage of the 60 minutes organic facial that I won at the trivia night a few months ago. It was a fantastic and relaxing experience. I got wrapped up in a blanket and then had a honey and rosehip facial as well as a scalp, neck and shoulder massage. This was the first time I have ever had a facial and I enjoyed every minute of it. I had various things massaged into my skin, hot towels and steam to open up my pores, and spritzes of scented water on my face. The neck and shoulder massage was just what I needed and really relaxed me. All in all it was excellent and I would definitely go back there to try out some other spa treatments.

The Boat People and Hungry Kids Of Hungary

Continuing on for a second night of bands from Brisbane, Tash and I headed to The Tote in Collingwood last night to see Hungry Kids Of Hungary and The Boat People. Strangely enough, this was the first time I have ever set foot in this legendary Melbourne venue. There were supposed to be four bands on the bill, but when we arrived we saw the list only had three, which meant we had mistimed our arrival and therefore the start of Hungry Kids Of Hungary's set. I'm still disappointed about that. However, they were as fantastic as I was expecting them to be. We got to hear the new single "Old Money," which is up there as song of the year for me right now. They also played "Scattered Diamonds," "Set It Right," "Tell Me Twice," and "Lenny" as well as some new songs they are recording for an album. I adore their power pop songs and harmonies and look forward to seeing them live again in the future.

The Boat People also played a good set. I wasn't as familiar with their songs, but for some reason I still can't figure out, I do know a song off their first album called "Unsettle My Heart." They played songs from their two albums and some new material as well. "Awkward Orchid Orchard" got a good response from the crowd and two of the Hungry Kids came on stage for their final song of the night "Born In The 80s."

Yves Klein Blue Album Tour

Last night I met up with Tash and Daniel at the Northcote Social Club for the sold out album launch for Yves Klein Blue. We got there for the last few songs of opening band Hoshi In The Clouds and got to hear their single "Panda Express." Next up was an entertaining set by Sydney's Philadelphia Grand Jury. They have an indie rock sound and a dedicated person was doing commentary and intros in between songs. "Going to the Casino" got a good crowd response and they finished their last song by handing their instruments to people in the crowd to play- guitar, bass, cymbal and keyboard! It was a unique ending.

It was great to see Yves Klein Blue again and I think they were really excited and touched to be playing to a sold out venue. They played songs from their debut album "Ragged & Ecstatic" including new single "Make Up Your Mind," "Getting Wise," "Summer Sheets," "Dinosaur," and "Queeny." We even got to hear "Blasphemy" from their first EP. The encore began with lead singer Michael Tomlinson solo on acoustic guitar for "About the Future" and then the rest of the band came back on and played a fantastic cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." The last song of the night was "Polka" which had the crowd singing and clapping along.

The Good China Residency

Last night Tash and I met up at The Evelyn for the first week of The Good China's July residency. It was an evening of multi-instrumental bands with a large number of members. Starting off the evening was Icicle Melts in their first ever live show. Unfortunately, it showed. The band was just trying too hard to be avant-garde and none of the three vocalists could actually sing- let alone harmonize together. It was all a bit painful. Thankfully next on the stage was Plastic Palace Alice, who were fantastic. They are such good musicians and may have the best rhythm section in Melbourne. They played a few new songs as well as their classic "Empire Falls." Their guitarist also had on an 80s inspired outfit and was quite entertaining.

The Good China started off their set with "A Million Little Pieces." They have been busy in the studio recording their debut EP and each week at the residency they are playing a new song. This week we got "No More Maps, No More Roads" which was a great song. I really liked the way they have changed up the rhythm on the chorus of "Perversion For Profit" and "All Nothing" was a highlight of the night (Tash and I did the hand claps). It was good to see the Chinas live again and hopefully I'll make it to another show of the residency this month.

Oh Mercy EP Launch

Last night Tash and I met up at The Toff in Town for the "In The Nude For Love" EP launch by Oh Mercy. The first act of the evening was Hoshi In The Clouds, who have a great dreamy, indie-pop sound. I really liked them, which is good because we'll be seeing them open up for a couple other bands in the upcoming weeks. The next act was Jessica Says. Classically trained singer Jessica Venables had a bit of a quirky voice and questionable fashion sense with her midriff top and skin tight leather pants.

Oh Mercy took to the stage to the sound of Australian birds, which played throughout the night in between songs. All the band members dressed up for the occasion in suit jackets and button down shirts, with Eliza in a white lace dress. Their months of touring have definitely paid off and all the songs sounded fantastic. We got a couple old songs as well as those on the "Seemed Like A Good Idea" single and new EP. Highlights were "Salvation Jane," "In My Stride," and "Needs A Woman." I am looking forward to the release of their debut album "Privileged Woes" in August (and more live shows).

After the gig I headed down to Curve Bar at The Arts Centre for the end of Danny and Ruth's engagement party. They had a big day with a formal family ceremony and lunch at a winery. It was nice to catch up with them as well as Michelle to hear about her recent trip to Africa.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

This week was the debut of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. It is nice to have Conan back on tv after his few months away. I am glad that so many of the Late Night staff have made the move to Los Angeles, and it's great to have Andy Richter back on the show. The new Tonight Show set is gorgeous with its Art Deco style and provides a nice connection to Late Night, which was shot in the beautiful Art Deco building that is 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City.

There was a lot of debate about how Conan might have to change the show for an 11:30 p.m. audience, but it feels like the same old Conan to me. There have been lots of remote pieces this week, as well as the return of a revamped "In the Year 3000", the string dance, and even an appearance by graphic designer Pierre Bernard. The new Max Weinberg and the Tonight Show Band have grown to 8 members with the inclusion of James Wormworth on percussion (The Worm used to fill in for Max when he was on tour with Bruce Springsteen) and they have kept the old Late Night theme with some minor tweaking. It may take them some time to settle in and work out how to incorporate Andy into the show more fully, but overall I think they've made the transition well and I'm happy to be able to watch Conan again five nights a week.

The Basics: Nice Harmonies. Nice Looks. Nice Lunch.

Last night Mel came over to my place and then we headed out for our evening on Lygon Street. We started with a delicious Italian dinner at Tiamo, and then dessert at Koko Black. Next it was off to the John Curtin Hotel and their recently opened bandroom to see The Basics.

The first band of the night was Sydney's Dead Letter Chorus. We were impressed with their indie/folk sound and they had a male and female trading off on lead singing duties. Next up was the alt-country stylings of The Wildes. They were good but played a lot of slow songs in their set before two more uplifting, faster tempo ones at the end.

The Basics hit the stage and began their hour long set with two brand new songs. Tim was sporting a stylish mustache he said was inspired by Ray Thistlewaite of Thirsty Merc. They played a fair amount of newer songs including "Home Again," "With This Ship," "Trouble in His Head," "She's the Executioner" and the latest single "Like a Brother." There were also some classics with "Money (Gimme, Gimme), " and the rarely heard "Three Cool Cats" and "Second Best." The encore included an acoustic start to "Rattle My Chain" and a cover of "Besame Mucho." Overall it was a good show although the vocals were too low in the mix up at the front of the stage.