da Scriffles

December 27, 2012.

November 25, 2012:

Murray Darling's Tumblr: Leap the Great Unknown

October 29, 2012

October 22, 2012

Gone back to the first drafts. Some of it is ok. Some giggles have been lost in drafts.

I made a few watercolours and photographed them to try to depict light waves - three years ago. Found while rummaging - a sleeping dragon. _ Lisa.

September 17, 2012

September 12, 2012. Update on Evolution Flunkies From Kapoot.

I started designing the website and realised an important thing about the nature of this book - it's a bible for a digital project and as such needs to be split into specific sections.

It's hard wrapping my mind around the scope of this thing.

The chapters have been halved and then cut down to between 200 and 500 words. Hilarious considering I've spent so much time developing all these backstories.

There are two blogs and story pages - so far.

@Janitor_Luck has a blog. This is his first post. In honour of Leadbeater's Possum - Victoria's State Emblem which is on the brink of extiction.

So I know I keep pushing back the publication date but I want it to be right.

Here's a taste. - Lisa.

Whorls of Existence (242)

Trip it up, trip it down, trip the others, take them down. Music is a very elemental thing. It drowns out the screams…

Did I say screams? Sorry.

This is your final boarding call… This is your Whorl.

You are here, on the Earth. Basically, the planet is a particle cloud in deep space – just like almost everything else, including skeletal remains.

Rip it up, rip it down, Yeah-Yeah! Shake it! Ah-ha! Ta-ra-ra b-OO-M-sey-Eh! Unhinged in The Whorl. Whoo-hoo!

Here’s a tip if you happen to meet a creature from deep space: Scream! No, but seriously. I tell you this in all genuine honesty.

We are one and the same – unfortunate circumstances force me to admit this. You and I need each other to survive evolution.

There’s more deep space in you than there is water – and you are 80 percent water.

Since 80 percent is more than half, how exactly can there be more deep space than water? Easy. Deep space connects everything.

There’s deep space in water too! Am I right? Don’t stress dopey.

This is a little more advanced than Lego, or even nanobots, so don’t you worry if you don’t get it. It may not matter soon anyway. Ha!

Extinction is part of evolution. So relax. Breathe while you can.

The true inhabitants of deep space are a little more special than you. Ne’er been seen by the naked eye. But deep space connects all Whorls.

Welcome to my Whorl! The Whorl of the Great UnKnown, Kapoot.

Animation: Click through the images rapidly. 

August 14: Dr Charles Lineweaver's Stanhope Oration

The Australian Science Teachers Association's 2012 conference

Cool factoids about the Big Bang, Black Holes and Aliens

July 16, 2012:

I started working on the Evolution Flunkies website two weeks ago. Adapting the book for online takes a little tweaking but I will post some updates soon. _ Lisa.

February 21, 2012: 

I have a cover for my book. I hope to finalize the manuscript by the end of March.

And, if things go well, I may even have a prototype website up.

I've changed the name of the book. It is amazing how this creative process of building multiple assets at the same time feeds upon itself. I can't wait to introduce the world to The Evolution Flunkies. 

Most people go through their lives without deviating from "the plan" - maybe that's what freewheeling is? Anyway, they don't exercise "free will". 

"The Plan" is written by "The Chairman" and "men in hats" are The Adjustment Bureau. Watch out for the men in hats!

The Bureau steps in when people stray off grid - the whole of humanity is represented as little moving dots on grids in their little black books.

Gives location-based social media platforms like FourSquare and GPS a WHOLE different image doesn't it?

I like this story and I like this film probably as much as Inception but I for different reasons - Inception overthinks while The Adjustment Bureau fails to think deeply enough.

The perfect paranoia film is probably located somewhere between the two - a little bit of action, but not too much, and a little bit of screwing your mind, but not totally screwing it up.

Just how many films justify the existence of paranoia? Shutter Island, Matrix, District 9, Distrubia, Gamer and perhaps There Will Be Blood? Is paranoia a necessary part of free will?

I don't want to spoil the twists and turns so it's difficult to say much but it's directed by a writer - George Nolfi. It's a well structured read.

Let's just say ... "boy-meets-girl", "boy-loses-girl", "boy-finds-girl", "boy-gives-girl-up", "boy-defies-the-odds", chance intervenes to change his fate - so they are extraordinary but it's not all free will after all.

The first-time director wrote and produced various other gems such as The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean's Twelve. 

All the way through, unfortunately, I was waiting for "the chase scene" - sorry, must be Matt Damon. The chase scene is great but the end is disappointing. 

It's like a flatulent balloon deflating as it fizzes out - I was waiting for a BANG? I guess that's a surprise in itself. Oh well.

Somewhere in the middle of the film my mind invented a different destination when interesting questions are raised.

Does he become president? Does she become a great dancer? Is that all still in the new "plan"? Is the new plan better or worse? No clues. Call me paranoid but I needed satisfaction to be sure.

I'm not saying it is a boring film but it kind of plops the idea on the table in Act 1 as if to say: And there it is!

Act 2: From the TOP! Again. There are these scary guys, see ... !

I didn't realise that Nolfi has adapted a short story by Philip K Dick and nor did I realise that so were Blade Runner, Through a Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, and Total Recall. This is more like Sliding Doors.

However, it's a great way to slip history to the kids in a few quick lines and get them to visit museums and art galleries to turn the doorknobs anti-clockwise and see what happens. ;)