Reflection And To Infinity And Beyond

2010 was a big year for me and for those around me. My year began with me sleeping through the new year thanks to jet lag, but I awoke at 3am in frosty London; as a dear friend pointed out to me, how can 2010 be a bad year when it started it off so well?

For the next 5 weeks I sped through Europe, discovered the literary land of England, ate Haggis and backpacked through the Republic and Northern Ireland. Along the way I met amazing people, secured life long friends and learnt that I can survive on my own and that my sense of direction wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was.

I came home to a family that missed me and a wonderful man who understood how important this trip had been to me, even if it did mean I was somewhere in northern England when it was his birthday. When I came home I decided that 2010 was going to be my year: I was going to write my little arse off and leave the job that was strangling me.

After a few months back I left my job  to what I thought would be my dream job and foot in the door, when in fact I had never been further away from my dream. I learnt a lot, if anything, to listen to my instinct and follow it. Although the job posed to be my big break, I could never shake the questioning in my head and the voices that kept asking was this job right for me? It turned out it wasn't, and I left on my own terms and it was if a weight had been lifted when I handed my resignation letter in. I now am somewhere new and a new adventure has begun and this one lacks voices and a weight in my stomach.

2010 also brought with it the loss of a beautiful person in my life. A powerful flame that was extinguished far too early and made me remember once more that life is indeed a gift and one that shouldn't be taken for granted; it's the one gift you can't refund and no rainchecks are offered. It inspired me to live life to the full and spend more time with those I  love, something I hope to do more of  in 2011. As one friend left, another one entered thanks to work as I was  introduced  to a lovely girl with a fellow passion for writing and books and although she now resides in another country, I hope to stay in contact with her.

Friends were married and great parties were had, another sign that we are all moving ahead some on one path, some on a slightly curvier road, but all moving ahead with our lives. 2011 is already set to have more weddings and maybe even some babies and I'm looking forward to finding out what's around the corner.

After 20 long years deprived of a premiership, my beloved Magpies finally held the cup that had eluded them for so long. The Grand Final losses of 2002 and 2003 were still raw with me and I waited with baited breath to see what would happen in 2010, although it took two weeks to happen, Collingwood supporters around the country (yes, we are everywhere) could finally smile and say "we are the premiers."

This blog has had some spasmodic entries this year but it's never far from my thoughts about what I want to achieve from it. I promise that 2011 will bring with it new features, thought provoking issues and some fun mixed in there as well. So please, continue with me on this journey as we tackle issues that effect us and some that should just be known about.

Wishing you all a very happy, exciting and healthy new year,

Girl On A Soapbox

Quote Of The Day

"Half the things that people do not succeed in are through fear of making the attempt."

-James Northcote

I Heart Melbourne In September

September in Melbourne means a few things: Melbourne returns to a luscious green from the steely grey of winter, mist  hovers over the Yarra as rowers return and amble through the twists and turns, the Spring Racing Carnival begins and most importantly, it's AFL finals time.

There are I hear, some people in Victoria who don't care about AFL, but for the rest of the state, where upon meeting someone the second question out of your mouth is "who do you go for?" it's the best time of the year. Heartbeats quicken, palms go clammy, your voice goes hoarse from yelling. You make friends with complete strangers from the strong bond that is the love of your football team. If your team has made it into the top eight, the next four weeks of your life are going to be thrilling.

Of course, with the ecstasy comes the heartache and as each final is played, one team must leave and not return until the next year. 2010 saw the top four sides make it to the preliminary finals. What everyone thought would be 1 versus 2, has in fact become 1 versus 3. Collingwood and St Kilda will meet for a 1966 Grand Final re-match, one that this blogger hopes will have a different ending.

In 1966 St Kilda beat Collingwood by a point to win their only flag to date. St Kilda is hungry for a win, especially after Geelong deprived them of Grand Final glory last year, but the Magpie army is strong and has just as big an appetite.

All eyes will be on the MCG come Saturday and the ground will be a sea of black, white and I suppose some red. For those who love the game, it's bittersweet-we get to witness the two best teams of 2010 fight it out for the cup, but it also signifies the end of the home and away season, and no more football until the pre-season next March. For those who don't love the game (we have heard you exist) high-fives and "thank god that's over" can be heard. Perhaps move to New South Wales or Queensland?

Come Saturday, may the best team on the day win. Until next September. GO PIES!!!!!!!

Quote of the Day

"I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 'no good in a bed, but fine against a wall''.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Quote Of The Day

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first."

-William Shakespeare

Quote Of The Day

"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be only afraid of standing still."

-Chinese proverb

Spring Cleaning

As the last of the winter winds blow and green buds begin to appear on trees, a change in season is not far away. We have survived yet another winter and we’re gearing up for summer, sun burn and ice cream once more. But to Melbournians and those in the fashion industry, it means something else: Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. Running from August 30th to September 5th, this year’s fashion shows promise to bring a new type of model; real people.


Opening the windows and bringing in a breath of fresh air, blowing the cobwebs off the skinny archetypes that dominate the fashion world, brands such as Peter Alexander, Dotti, Supre, Dom Bagnato and Milk and Honey held callouts for real men and women to audition for lunchtime parades to be held at Federation Square during Spring Fashion Week. Applicants had to submit online with the only requirements being that you had to be over the age of 16 and submit a head and full body shot. From there, the number was brought down to 200 who were called in for a walk on the runway. But the organisers are not sure how many people they will eventually need. “We’re not really sure how many we’ll use or how,” event manager Jacelyn Hawkins told The Age earlier this week, “we just knew we wanted to showcase a range of body shapes and sizes because a lot of the labels I work with really have quite a broad appeal and wanted to reflect that on the catwalk.”

This follows a slow, but consistent swing by the fashion industry. In 2006, Madrid Fashion Week made headlines around the world when they refused to hire underweight models, instead opting to hire girls on their body mass index (BMI) compared to their height and weight. The recent fashion shows in Paris showcased curvier models, with Louis Vuitton’s latest line reminiscent of the 1950s when being voluptuous was seen as attractive. More and more plus size modelling agencies are being created and their books and the models in them, are being flown all over the world. With the average Australian woman being a size 14 and 16, the fashion shows and magazine ads aren’t realistic.

Youth Minister Kate Ellis, along with a body image committee, has introduced a new code of conduct for the fashion industry, including magazines, to follow. “Body image is an issue that we must take seriously because it is affecting the health and happiness of sections of our community.” Ms Ellis said. The code of conduct includes that a range of women must be shown in parades and magazines varying in size, age and ethnicity and that magazines either stop using digitally enhanced photos, are notify the reader when a photo has been altered. This is all done in the hope that the unrealistic portrayals of women will be eliminated.

The lunchtime parades at Federation Square are baby steps, but steps all the same. The fashion industry is realising that the majority of people aren’t a size 0 and are sick and tired of being told that to wear couture clothes, you have to be a lollypop. While some designers will never change, some are and slowly and surely, we’ll see more and more “real” models.

What do you think? Is this a step forward? Will this make a difference at all?

DEBATE: Australian Federal Election 2010: Who Will You Vote For?

With the Federal election only two days away, now is the time to think seriously about who you will vote for. When you're standing in the polling booth on Saturday, I hope the wise words of Tianna Nadalin and Chris Bechaz are ringing in your ears.

To kick-off the first of what I hope will be many debates on GOAS, Tianna and Chris have kindly taken up my request of a debate by offering their insight into each party explaining why you should vote for them and why one is better than the other. How does each party effect you?

To begin, we have Tianna in the Liberal corner. Tianna is a journalism student and member of the Liberal Party.

"Just days after the 2010 Federal Budget was released, Kevin Rudd was depicted by [Herald Sun Cartoonist] Mark Knight as a modern day Robin Hood, and Julia Gillard his faithful Maid Marion. Now; with Rudd’s dignity assuming the prime position on her trophy shelf and a notch added on her belt for an illegitimate Prime Ministership; Rudd’s not-so-faithful deputy is still being hailed as some kind of saviour for becoming Australia’s first female leader.

So Julia Gillard is a woman... Big. Freaking. Deal. It doesn’t change the fact that she ‘got the job’ by prying it out from under Rudd’s feet, it doesn’t change the fact that she acted in a conniving and dishonest manner by lying on countless occasions to the public about her intentions, it doesn’t change the fact that she orchestrated the whole coup by making deals with Union bosses who as our ‘leader’, she is now going to be indebted to, and it certainly doesn’t change the fact that she was not elected to power; but rather forced her way there. It seems we have gotten so caught up in congratulating Gillard on her supposedly inspirational achievement, that we are incapable of seeing it for what it really is; clandestine theft of the country’s top job by a deceitful manipulator, to whom democracy is a romantic notion, not a style of government.

How can we trust a Prime Minister whose idea of doing right by the nation essentially undermines the whole notion of responsible government, which is the fundamental core of any nation which aspires to call itself democratic? Call me a naive Gen Yer, but from what I understand, Julia Gillard used cloak and dagger tactics to overthrow her colleague in order to substantiate her own political agenda... For all his faults, when push came to shove, at least Kevin Rudd put the party ahead of himself and stood down without any real attempt at opposition. As deputy, she had just as big a role in the development of the policies the Rudd government failed to implement, and supported the viewpoints which she then turned around and ousted him on, but of course, her having to come in and pick up the pieces of the mess left by Krudd (a mess which she played a major part in creating), makes her a martyr. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the carefully contrived deposition of the rightful ruler. Julia can maintain all she likes that she did it for the good of the people, but the Rudd administration was one which she had a first hand in sabotaging... her actions were centred around appeasing her hunger for power, not the betterment of the party; and by it, the people it was sworn in to protect. She knew that with a humiliated Rudd as the face of the ALP, the chances of them being re-elected to a second term would have been fairly slim. Don’t get me wrong, I am not unhappy that the Milky Bar Kid has gone back to doing what he is best at, but would have much preferred the exorcism of my right to be a below-the-line voter be the point of his demise, and not his now illustrious former deputy. Under Gillard, although we can still hope for that outcome, the ALP are definitely in with a fighting chance.

Regardless of what she achieves in the lead up to the election, and irrespective of whether or not she gets to officially move into the Lodge, Australia’s outright acceptance of her stolen seat at the throne makes this one of the nicest dictatorships in the world.
At the end of the day, If she can’t get the job honestly in the first place, how can we expect her to do it that way? Looking back, Rudd was certainly the lesser of two evils.....Cunning move indeed, clever Ms Fox."



In the Labor camp we have Chris Bechaz. Chris is a Arts/Law student and Union Organiser.

"The 2010 Federal Election is now less than a week away, yet amidst the bombardment of political advertising and obligatory baby-kissing it is easy to lose sight of what is truly at stake this coming Saturday. Belying what has been a relatively bland campaign is the stark reality that this election is shaping up to be one of the most important of the modern era.

And no, that is not an exercise on hyperbole. It is my firm belief. This Saturday we face a choice between two candidates who will take Australia down radically different paths, and it is my sincerest hope that I can convince you, the reader, that a vote for Julia Gillard and Labor is a vote for a modern, confident, progressive and prosperous Australia.

To begin I would like to outline some of Labor’s achievements over the past three years, as well as give some insight into Julia Gillard’s vision for the future of Australia. As my time is rather limited at the moment, I will focus my discussion on three key policy areas – the economy, the National Broadband Network (NBN) and industrial relations.

The Economy
Last week I had the privilege of hearing the great Bob Hawke speak at Simon Crean’s campaign launch. In typical Hawke style, he compared casting a vote to having a punt at the races, stating that if you want to back a winner, you have to first look at the ‘form guide’.

So what does the form guide say about Labor’s economic credentials?

It is unadulterated fact that Australia weathered the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) better than almost every other Western country thanks to Labor’s stimulus package. But don’t let me preach – I’ll leave that to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz:
“You were lucky to have, probably, the best designed stimulus package of any of the…advanced industrial countries, both in size and in design, timing and how it was spent – and I think it served Australia well” – ABC Online, 7 August 2010
“[on the stimulus package] Not only was it the right amount, it was extraordinarily well structured, with careful attention to what would stimulate the economy in the shorter run, the medium term and the long term…when I look around the world, it was, I think, probably the best-designed stimulus program in the world and you should be happy that in fact it worked exactly the way it was designed to work.” – Sydney Morning Herald, 20 July 2010

Stiglitz’s views have been echoed by the Australian Treasury, the Reserve Bank, the OECD and fifty of Australia’s leading economists (The Age, 17 August 2010).

In brief, the stimulus package saved tens of thousands of jobs, and by extension families, businesses and communities. In addition, the budget is now on track to return to surplus by 2013 – three years ahead of schedule and ahead of every single major advanced economy.

This is what Labor has achieved through it’s sound economic judgment, and it is this sound judgment that Labor under Julia Gillard will continue to utilize in strengthening our economy further.

Labor has the form and I’ll certainly be backing them on Saturday.

The National Broadband Network (NBN)
Australians currently have access to internet speeds far below those of many other developed countries. Being a bit of an online gamer myself, I’ve experienced the frustration of being ‘ganked’ by gamers from the US or Korea with superior internet speeds. It seems according to Tony Abbott, it’s only people like me that are truly pining faster internet speeds. However, the benefits of faster internet connections extend far beyond the home PC and out into health, education and business.

Labor’s NBN, quite frankly, has the potential to revolutionise Australia in offering higher internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (roughly 1000 times faster than most people have access to now). As part of the NBN, copper wiring will be replaced by optical fibre which has an almost unlimited capacity. This combined with faster broadband speeds is predicted to be a strong incentive for internet providers to offer less restrictive download limits – a huge benefit for families and businesses alike. The NBN is also expected to drive productivity growth, create jobs and become an integral part of our economy. In the area of health, the NBN will enable GPs and Specialists to consult in real time over the internet with patients in rural and regional areas – a move backed by the Australian Medical Association.

I and many others see Labor’s NBN as one of the great nation-building projects of the 21st Century – equivalent to the railway schemes of the 19th Century. Its potential impact upon Australia simply cannot be underestimated for the benefits will be shared by everyone, from the lowly online gamer to the largest corporations.
Industrial Relations
In 2007, the Howard government was swept from office on a tide of anti-WorkChoices sentiment. In 2009, Labor’s Fair Work Act came into force, which, funnily enough, returned a measure of fairness to employees across Australia. Amongst the raft of changes the Fair Work Act introduced, two in particular stand out as relevant to younger employees (whom I imagine form the majority of this blog’s readership).

The first change concerns casual employees. Under WorkChoices, casuals were not covered by unfair dismissal laws, but under the Fair Work Act they are now able to make unfair dismissal claims. Essentially, this means a casual employee cannot be sacked without any reason – an added measure of job security that is certainly a boon for many struggling tertiary students!
The second change revolves around individual contracts. Young people entering permanent employment for the first are most at risk when it comes to individual contracts simply because of the sheer imbalance of power between a first-time employee and a boss – negotiating better pay and conditions on your own with your boss can be outright terrifying! However, the Fair Work Act has banned many employees from imposing individual contracts on their employees and has swung the industrial pendulum back towards collective bargaining and agreements.
Unfortunately, with Tony Abbott at the helm of the Coalition, the spectre of WorkChoices continues to haunt Australia, so it is up to us all to reject the Coalition and put those draconian laws to rest once and for all.


And Finally…
I cannot conclude this article without some comments about Tony Abbott himself. Although I would prefer not to stray into the realms of negativity, the prospect of Abbott as Prime Minister is a frightening one and therefore warrants a closer look at the ‘real’ Tony.

To be blunt, Tony Abbott represents a bygone era. He is a man with his feet firmly planted in the 1950s whose conservative values are increasingly at odds with those of modern day Australians – a point I cannot emphasise enough. His well documented attitude towards women is archaic at best (I urge all readers to watch this GetUp! commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R45nm4BFNeM) and he is a known climate change sceptic. Certainly his rhetoric has softened over the campaign, but don’t be fooled. This is ‘Phony Tony’ at his best. One needs only glance at his political record as a minister under John Howard to see the real Tony Abbott – advocating WorkChoices and cutting health funding. And if further proof is needed of the real, conservative Tony, then take a look at his shadow cabinet - choc-full of MPs whose political careers he has resurrected from the tomb of the Howard government such as Kevin Andrews, Bronwyn Bishop, Philip Ruddock and Andrew Robb.
Most importantly, serious doubts remain about Tony Abbott’s real policy agenda. To date, the Coalition’s campaign has been characterized by plenty of negativity… and not much else. Of those policies that have been released, most have been lackluster (need I mention the Coalition’s ‘band-aid’ internet plan?), which begs the question, does Tony Abbott even have a vision for Australia? Where are the nation-building projects? Moreover, most of the Coalition’s policies are yet to be costed by Treasury – a point that should raise alarm bells considering the Coalition so loves to tout its economic credentials.

So can Tony Abbott and the Coalition really be trusted? Will Abbott really deliver on his promises if he’s so afraid of having them costed, or are they merely a smokescreen hiding a more conservative agenda – such as the return of WorkChoices under a different name?

On Saturday as you think about where to mark the number ‘1’ on your ballot paper, remember that Tony Abbott opposed the stimulus package that saved Australia from the GFC and continues to oppose the NBN that will revolutionise Australia’s economy.
As cheesy as it may sound, a vote for Julia Gillard is a vote for a modern, confident, progressive and prosperous Australia. It’s the bloody truth!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are my own and may not necessarily be shared by the Labor Party."

So there you have it. Feel free to print this and take it with you on Saturday. It's food for thought anyways. For those of you who don't want to vote or don't think your vote counts, it does. And if you still don't believe me, think how you would feel, if you lived in a country where you couldn't vote.

Many thanks to Chris and Tianna for making this debate possible. As always, please feel free to leave a comment and keep the debate going.

Until next time, Happy Voting!

NEWS: TOP 5 NEWS STORIES, TUESDAY, 03 AUGUST

1) ABBOTT IN HOT WATER OVER CHOICE OF WORDS The Liberal party are fretting female voters will have taken offense at Tony Abbott’s choice of words today, in regards to Julia Gillard requesting another televised debate. Gillard when first in power, shot down Abbotts request of 3 televised debates, but now, with Labor poll votes down, Ms Gillard has asked Mr Abbott for another debate. Mr Abbott today said, “Are you suggesting to me that when it comes from Julia, ‘no doesn’t mean no’?’

The slogan ‘no means no’ has been used in reference to sexual assault court cases and was poorly chosen when making reference to his female opponent.



2) LINDSAY LOHAN released from jail and taken directly to a rehabilitation facility. Enough said.

3) AUSSIE TOURIST HURT IN CLIFF FALL Twenty-four-year-old, Tanya Hearnden is in hospital with two broken arms, a broken hip, severe facial injuries and had her spleen and kidney removed after she fell from a cliff in Croatia. Hearnden and her husband were with friends jumping off the cliff into the water, when at the last minute, Hearnden changed her mind and fell 15 metres. She’s in a stable condition in intensive care.

4) WOMAN IN HOSPITAL AFTER HITTING COW At 11.30am today a 55 year-old woman was airlifted out of Tallandoon, 40 minutes from Wodonga, when her quad bike hit a cow and the cow fell on top of her. She is in a stable condition.

5) FEVOLA’S SEASON OVER Brisbane Lion forward, Brendan Fevola 2010 season is over, when it was discovered he had torn his groin muscle over the weekend in the clash against Melbourne. The injury will put him out for at least 4 weeks. This is bad news for the already struggling Lions who are at risk of the wooden spoon.

Quote Of The Day

"If shared problems lessen the burden, how come we get so upset in a traffic jam?"

-P.K SHAW

Beautiful People.com-No Ugly’s Need Apply

I’m a little behind the eight-ball on this one. Grazia, a weekly fashion magazine that I adore and comes out every Monday, had me spitting out my Weeties yesterday morning in reaction to an article. The title of the article was “We met on Beautiful People website (and made a perfect son!)”. The photo accompanying the article is of two good looking people, walking either side of a cute little boy blowing a raspberry.


The article is written in the first person by Deanne Pennington, a former flight attendant and dancer, now proud mother of an equally attractive son. Pennington explains how she needed to find a man with “good genes” so she could pass on her “beauty lineage.” Pennington reminisces about how in primary school, her looks were already abundant and two boys had a duel over who would hold her hand. Pennington also claims that although it is a harsh reality, good looks are very important and will get you ahead in life.

It is here she mentions Beautiful People.com, an “elite dating site that bans ugly people” that has now branched out into the fertility business, allowing beautiful people’s sperm and eggs to be donated to the aesthetically pleasing, challenged.

The site’s founder Robert Hintze explains, “Initially we hesitated to widen the offering to non-beautiful people. But everyone-including ugly people-would like to bring good-looking children into the world. We can’t be selfish with our attractive gene-pool.” It’s right about here that Weeties ended up all over the “model family”.

My blood was boiling, but I was confused as to why. Was it taking offence to these people referring to people as ugly? Or was it because what they were saying was true? Who doesn’t want an attractive child? As wrong as it is, does being good looking help you in life? I kept reading as the sick feeling in my stomach got worse.

Beautiful People.com, surprise, surprise is not easy to become a member of. I could view the site as a guest and click on people and view their profiles. There is one tab labelled, Applicants. I clicked on it and was met with four categories: Women Getting In, Women Not Getting In, Men Getting In, Men Not Getting In. Those who are already members vote if someone is deemed beautiful enough to join the site. Those who are not successful are publicly humiliated and fall under the not getting in category. I was surprised at some of the people who weren’t successful and then vice versa with the ones who were. These people have obviously never heard the old saying, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Pennington and her now husband Charlie were both deemed beautiful enough to join the site and have now have a healthy and of course attractive baby, Jack. But Pennington hadn’t finished me disappointing me: “As a mother, I’m sure I would have loved my child the same if he was ugly, but I admit I would have been disappointed not to have a model-like family I’d dreamed of. You never know, there might be some rogue “ugly” gene inherited from a great-grandfather twice removed, which gives your baby a big nose.” She’s sure she would have loved her baby? She keeps these wise words coming:

“When Jack was born he looked like he’d been in a boxing match: his eyes were puffy, his nose squished. Holding him for the first time, even as his mother I thought “Urgh”.” (Hope she brings this one out at his 21st!)

Pennington signs off the article with looks get you ahead in life. It’s a just a reality. Is it? I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt, but if you were on trial for a murder, would you want the easy-on-the-eye-lawyer-whose-not-as-qualified or the slightly-less-attractive-but-is-going-to-keep-your-bum-out -of-jail lawyer?

In the August edition of Madison Michelle Obama’s wise words seem very appropriate to this article: “With men, don’t be swayed by cute. Cute only lasts for so long. Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul.”

So what do you think, my fellow soapboxers? Do you think looks will make life easier for you? Would you go to beautiful people.com for an attractive partner or baby? Is it selective breeding or are you merely helping the world by bringing one less ugly person into the world? No judgement here, just your honest opinions!

Quote Of The Day

"Friends are like bras, close to your heart and there for support."

-Anon

An Election Warm Up

Many thanks to Emma who sent me this link on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qub4lWT6GNk

Who said politics is boring?

While we're on the subject of politics, the first Girl On A Soapbox debate will be happening in a few weeks so watch this space!

Quote Of The Day

"You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body."

-C.S Lewis

Julia Gillard: Inspirational or Diabolical?

When news hit my ears that Kevin Rudd had stepped down and handed over the reins to Gillard, I couldn’t stop smiling. Why? A few reasons, but the most obvious being that I was proud to see the day a woman holds power in Australia.

I have long thought that in a country as wonderful and laid back as Australia, it sad that we are still a very backwards in the way we define women’s and men’s roles. This is slowly changing, but in a country that still thinks you’re soft if you’re a man and cry (Grand Final loses are an exception) I was proud of Julia getting there; even if it was under slightly dubious terms.

So you can imagine my surprise when other women, who clearly weren’t wearing the same rose-coloured glasses as me, ones who weren’t high-fiving and going on about girl power, started attacking Gillard’s lifestyle: Julia Gillard is apparently a bad role model for women. Aside from the fact that she was sworn in as our 27th Prime Minster. Aside from the fact that she is our first female Prime Minister. Gasp at the fact that she doesn’t have (or even worse, doesn’t want) children. But none of that is really bad. According to Sydney Morning Herald columnist Bettina Arndt,( http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/shacking-up-is-hard-to-do-why-gillard-may-be-leery-of-the-lodge-20100628-zexr.html) Gillard will lead young women astray and make bad decisions. The bad decision Gillard has made? Not being married.

Arndt’s article appeared on the SMH website on the 29th June. Arndt’s article opens with her questioning the real reason Gillard and partner Tim Mathieson haven’t moved into The Lodge yet. Arndt’s theory is that Gillard wants to test the waters of the Australian people and see how they react to Gillard and her “first man” moving in.
But Arndt’s stinging remarks are left for the core of her argument, which is that Gillard is in a position to ruin many young women’s lives. How you ask? Well despite Arndt admitting herself that between 1986 and 2006 the amount of de facto relationships has doubled, Arndt believes that women who follow Gillard’s lead will have miserable lives. Arndt declares that women in de facto relationships, and I quote: “(are) wasting precious breeding time in such uncertain relationships.”

Arndt goes on to say that these women will either end up with children who were used as a way to “fix” the relationship and no man, or end up bitter and childless because they were with Mr Wrong. But Bettina, who says you won’t end up bitter and childless with Mr Right? Why is Gillard a bad example for women because she has chosen a career over children and wishes to keep herself legally unattached? Who’s to say that either option has a guaranteed happy or sad ending?

Every relationship is different and the only people that know what really goes on in a relationship are the two people in that relationship. Not everyone is cut out to conform and I’m not opposed to either one. I am opposed to saying she’s a bad role model.

People acknowledge the fact that yes she is childless but it was her choice. We are in 2010 are we not? We are lucky to be able to choose who we date, marry, not marry, have kids, not have kids.

Let’s take a vote: is Julia Gillard a bad role model for women and is she attacking traditional values?

Does it bother you that she and Tim Mathieson aren’t married?

This girl is stepping off her soapbox and letting you jump on. So let’s hear it.

Quote Of The Day

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slighty cracked."

-Bernard Meltzer

Obituary Of The Late Mr Common Sense

A few months ago, an email that struck a chord with me, landed in my inbox. It wasn’t one of cute puppies or fluffy ducks or even an angel reminding me that I’m loved (all nice, please don’t stop sending them) but this one had me nodding my head in agreement with every word I read.

Originally written by Lori Borgman in 1998, (http://loriborgman.com) the piece still rings true today. At my ripe old age of 26 I am often found saying that no one has common sense anymore. No wonder; apparently he died in 1998. The following piece first appeared in the Indianapolis Star but has since been circulated around the internet and has been chopped and changed depending on those who read it.

The following landed in my inbox:

“Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Elastoplast to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.”

If you, like me shook your head at the loss of common sense, leave a comment with the latest ridiculous loss of common sense you witnessed and we will mourn with you.

Quote Of The Day

"There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same."

Chinese proverb

Quote Of The Day

"...my life is now on a spiritual path. I'm now a spiritual warrior, I'm a man on a mission..."

"I was just thinking, many of us read so much and are so wise yet when it comes to it the knowledge we have gained and words we have read, appear to vanish and we forget the wisdom we accumulate through time, could it be that when we read with our ego that is reading to show off or to portray yourself as an intellectual, that we then fail at absorbing the information that we need. Rather we must learn to read, and in reality forget what we have read .
I am but small in this huge world and in reality i know nothing but i feel that it is because i know nothing that iam so content, satisfied and full of meaning."

-Walter Gonzalez

In loving memory of a beautiful man, friend and spirit.

Walter Gonzalez, aka, Chinoblack, 09/05/1988-12/06/2010

A New Dawn

On the 23rd of June, 2010, Australians watching Hey, Hey It’s Saturday, had their program interrupted by a cross to the channel 9 newsroom, where a political bombshell was dropped: an emergency meeting had been called in Canberra and Kevin Rudd wasn’t invited.

For weeks rumours have been circulating that Rudd’s head was going to roll, and that Julia Gillard would be left holding the silver platter Rudd was to be served on. For weeks, Gillard dogged questions about stepping up as Prime Minster, even going as far as saying that she would play full-forward for the Western Bulldogs before she ended up as Prime Minster. (The Western Bulldogs issued a statement tonight saying that although she would make a great, small full- forward, they were sure that she would have too much to do now, to play).

A new dawn of Australian politics has begun and Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minster, is at the helm. Although the position of PM is not new to Gillard, as she has stepped in as Deputy PM many times before, it is however the first time in Australian history that a female Governor-General has sworn in a female Prime Minster. The times, they are a changing.

Journalists politely laughed at Kevin Rudd’s parting jokes, as he stood, surrounded by his family, for the last time as Prime Minster of Australia. Kevin 07’s reign had ended abruptly, in another first for Australian politics. Outnumbered and betrayed by his own party, Rudd knew his time was up. At 9am, EST, on the 24th of June, Rudd conceded defeat and without going to a vote, stepped down as Prime Minster. Never before has this happened to a serving Government and Rudd’s bad-luck has already been linked to Gough Whitlam’s untimely departure as PM, in 1975.

His family behind him, Rudd summed up his time in Government with what he was most proud of: the apology to the Stolen Generation and what he was not most proud of: blubbering in public. It was a brave man that stood before the journalists this morning and it would have taken a lot of strength to say goodbye. His bottom lip quivering and long pauses to try and compose himself, Rudd departed with class and a positive attitude: we haven’t seen the last of him; he still wants to be a part of the Labor party.

As parliament sat today with Rudd in the back bench, one had to wonder what was going through his mind. Rudd was not a party man and felt strongly about his beliefs and that, in the end was his undoing. The camera caught him looking forlorn, or perhaps he was being nostalgic; not 24 hours before, he had been sitting where Gillard was now sitting.

Gillard and Rudd were a strong team and eyes now turn to see how Gillard performs upfront. Gillard has the majority of the Labor party’s backing (it was reported that Rudd had as little as 25% of the party behind him) and even if you’re not interested in politics, you must take note of how significant this shift has been.

Victorian Premier John Brumby was ecstatic at the news that his former Chief of Staff was now the PM. It was no secret that Brumby and Rudd did not see eye to eye.

Gillard has declared that we will go to the polls in the next few months as she is aware that the people have not elected her has PM. Gillard has no plans to move into The Lodge anytime soon either, but instead plans to remain at her current residence.

I end this blog with a salute to Kevin Rudd: he introduced us to words like: “detailed programmatic specificity” and did what the Government before him could not: apologised to the Aboriginals and acknowledged that they had been wronged. He tried to implement actions for climate change, pushed for paid maternity leave and spoke (most of the time) like the common man (swearing and visits to strip clubs included). Rudd tried to break the trend of governments before him and in part, succeeded. But in the end, he lost confidence in his party and they in turn, deserted him.

As the bell tolls for Rudd, Julia Gillard steps into the role of Labor PM and has wasted no time in passing an olive branch to the mining companies, pulling the $38 million ad campaigns asking that they in return, can their retaliation campaigns. The mining companies have excepted.

So far so good for Gillard and her Labor constituents. But what is the feeling out their with you all? Are you sad to see the back of Rudd? Do you like Gillard as our PM? (Please note, I don’t care if she has green hair or purple, the way she looks, the colour of her hair, marital status and clothes DO NOT maketh a leader. So please do not post any ranger or sexist remarks here, leave that to your Facebook page.)

How Do You Sign?

Yesterday, I found myself sitting down and writing out a congratulations-on-the-baby card. This action in itself is something of a new phenomenon, one that no doubt in the near future will become a regular occurrence, but when I got to the end of the card, I didn’t know how to sign it. I yelled out to my partner if he wanted to sign it “love” but he said no, but to instead write “Best Wishes”. This got me thinking; what is the appropriate way to sign things?

On the same day, I was also writing out a wedding card (not to the same couple but perhaps Hallmark could look into that; congratulations on the nuptials and the gift from Mr Stalk!) but this time it was for close friends, so the obvious way to sign the card would be with “love.” But the baby card people are friends of my partner that although he has known for years, they weren’t close enough to state love. Or is that a male thing?

This all reminded me of an episode of Sex and the City when Samantha is dating her boss Richard and he is showering her with extravagant gifts, but signing “Best, Richard” on the cards. It’s not exactly what you would want written on a card from someone who you are currently attached to, but until those three gargantuan words, “I love you” are spoken, best or from seems to be the safe option.

I was faced with another signing dilemma the other day when I wrote in a work colleague’s all-the-best-for-the-future card. I liked her and enjoyed our time working together, but wasn’t friendly enough to write love but thought “from” was too cold. I looked at what other people had written and some had written nothing at all but a heart followed by their name. Undecided, I simply signed my name with a smiley face. I thought I had ticked the friendly but not too friendly box without being distant. After being happy with my choice, I just hoped she could read my writing.

When applying for a job, we sign, “Yours sincerely”, “Yours truly” or “Respectively yours”. We don’t know the person we are writing too, sometimes you don’t even have a name, but you don’t want to come across as too friendly or un- professional. You want to impress. When hundreds of resumes and cover letters all sound and look the same (with a lot of creative license no doubt) you want to be remembered, but for the right reasons.

Email etiquette has added a whole new level of what is polite and over-friendly. The standard signing off for a work email is “Kind Regards”. If you are familiar with the person or are replying to an email conversation, the best response would be simply just to sign off with “Regards” followed by your name. But with friends and family you could reply with love and xoxo’s and “hope this finds you well”, depending on how friendly/close you are with them. You wouldn’t sign off with “from” like you would a letter. But emails can get complicated when the format can be far more casual and you don’t want the person to get the wrong impression.

Have you have ever had a situation where you have signed “love” and the other person has felt weird about it? This could have been a friend, potential partner or accidently a work colleague. Have you been at the receiving end of an awkward signing? Let me know your thoughts and the different ways you sign.

Don't Be A Dickhead

The TAC have released their new campaign, "Don't Be A Dickhead" the following link is the first of a series of ads.

The ads are aimed at the young. Do you think it's effective? Or making a mockery of the situation?

Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzCjtGl0sXk

Nanny State? Webber, You Bloody Idiot

Perhaps the Government had Mark Webber in mind when they created their controversial new slogan “you’re a dickhead.” Deputy Police Commissioner Ken Lay probably thinks so.

Webber has been in the middle of a tangled web that has spun bigger and bigger since he defended Lewis Hamilton’s actions of doing a burnout and a fishtail last Friday night. Hamilton was seen by police officers performing the burnouts on St Kilda Road and consequently had his car impounded and received a summons for inappropriate use of a vehicle. The former World Champion hid his face in shame as the media caught wind of his little misdemeanour. Was it embarrassment of being caught or embarrassment over the fact that he alleged had a passenger in the vehicle with him, whose life, he put at risk?

Webber and Hamilton are paid thousands to be the fastest and the best on the track. They have millions worldwide looking up to them and wishing they were them. Being in the spotlight, they have a responsibility to be safe off and on the track.

Grand Prix boss Ron Walker supported Hamilton’s actions and blamed it on a once off, snap decision. “I know Lewis Hamilton well and he spends a lot of his time talking to young people about road safety.” Walker said. Perhaps he’s had too many bumps on the track and has forgotten?

Enter Mark Webber. Webber blamed Hamilton’s punishments as a result of Australia being a Nanny State. “It’s a great country, but we’ve got to be responsible for our actions and it’s certainly a bloody Nanny State when it comes to what we can do.” Webber then went on to say that you had to “dodge the ridiculous speeding and parking rules” that we have in Australia.

I’m sure Ken Lay and the 6 families that had loved ones affected by road trauma this past weekend wouldn’t agree. To say that Ken Lay was more than disappointed with Mark Webber’s comments is an understatement. “It’s really disappointing. Mark Webber is in a position where he’s got the ability to influence our road users,” the Deputy Police Commissioner said. “That’s after a weekend which left six dead, four of them attributed to speeding.”

With the Easter break coming up the police are worried that this will be our worst road death toll in five years. We already have 11 more dead than this time last year.

So what do you think? Are our road rules too strict? Is Mark Webber right, or should he have made a visit to The Alfred Hospital, and visited the trauma unit and see up close and personal what speed and breaking “the rules” can do?