Quote Of The Day

"People say that you're going the wrong way when it's simply a way of your own."

-Angelina Jolie

Does This Ad Sexualise Children?

This ad is the print campaign for Marc Jacobs perfume Oh Lola!, starring 17-year-old actress Dakota Fanning and it has just been banned in the UK for being in breach of the UK's code of ethics.

The Herald Sun reported on Saturday that the ad which has been running for months in magazines, may also be banned here in Australia.

Australian watchdog has received complaints about the content of the ad and Australian Advertising Standards Bureau spokeswoman Sari Mattila told the Herald Sun "Complaints about the ad focused on the age of the girl in the ad and the sexual overtones of the image."

Child advocate Melinda Tankard Reist told the Herald Sun the ad should be banned. "Lola is the nickname given by the paedophile Humbert Humbert for Lolita in the novel Lolita. The perfume bottle acts as a phallic symbol, suggesting possible penetration."

I'll be honest, when I first saw the ad I questioned where the bottle was placed but nothing more. Fanning is in a pretty, granted, short dress with hardly any make-up on. She's not made up to look years older then she is, but shone in her natural, beautiful state.

I hope the name has nothing to do with Vladimir Nabokov title character because then the choice of representative and ad takes on a very dark undertone. Is Fanning been taken advantage of here? Does this ad sexualise children? Do you find this ad offensive?

Which is more offensive: Fannings ad, or this UK Vogue shoot: the "model" is 10. Do you even take offense to it?

How about this little beauty for your baby (and yes, this is a baby sized t-shirt)

Should Fanning's ad be cancelled in Australia? Do you find the t-shirt above amusing? Is it all just Australia becoming so PC that we've all lost perspective? Or should t-shirts and photoshoots like the ones above be left on the scrap of paper they were created on?

Stepping off the box and handing the megaphone to you.

Cheers! And Handcuffs

The following is a true story and could fall under the headline of Odd Spot, but I thought the efforts of the Derbyshire Police in England deserved a post all of their own.

A British undercover operation has nabbed almost twenty suspected criminals after enticing them to call up for free beer. The Derbyshire Police apprehended the suspects after sending out letters to them urging them to claim a free crate of beer from a marketing company. The recipients of the letters had evaded arrest for crimes ranging from breaking and entering to sexual assault for several months so the police got clever.

The phone number on the letters put them straight through to police at Chesterfield police station where the police then named a time and place for pick up of the free beer. Instead of beer, the suspects received a one way ticket in the back of a divvy van.

Chief Inspector Graham McLaughlin stated: "These suspects are people who have managed to evade arrest for some time so we have used different tactics to find them."

Aussie crims beware, I believe this would work very well here too!

Quote Of The Day

"I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that."

-Lauren Bacall

Odd Spot - The Age

German police called to a weekend traffic incident found Jedi master Yoda from Star Wars at the wheel, much the worse for wear after Halloween celebrations. The green-costumed driver had his license confiscated. "In this case, the force was not with him," police said.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper  02/11/11

Quote Of The Day

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."

-Henry van Dyke

Odd Spot - The Age

A cash machine in East London is offering its services in standard English or Cockney. The ATM, in Leytonstone, asks if you want Sausage and Mash (cash) in denominations including Lady Godiva (£5) Speckled Hen (£10) Horn of plenty (£20) or a nifty (£50).


*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 31/10/11

Quote Of The Day

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden where the flowers are dead."

- Oscar Wilde

Odd Spot -The Age

A semi- trailer carrying about 25 million bees over-turned on an American interstate highway, freeing the insects. Authorities closed part of the Utah highway for several hours after the crash. They warned drivers in the area keep their windows closed.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 26/10/11

Drinks, Camera, Action

Pubs, clubs and bars oh my, beware, police are now filming your staff and your clientele on their serving and consumption of alcohol.

The Sunday Age reported that the Victorian police have a new task force in town, Razon, and their sole goal is to persecute establishments thats are voiding their liquor license, the number one rule being not to serve a person already intoxicated. The task force secretly film patrons with cameras concealed within their clothes, filming their drinking. With the video evidence and other information and proof gathered, the established is shone the footage and asked to please explain. The police claim they are only doing this to establishments that have received several  warnings of infringement.

Anyone who has gone to a pub and club would know they don't gauge the alertness of the customer but ask what they want and hand it over. Especially in a club where the lighting is poor and the bar is swarmed with thirsty patrons, the drinks are just poured and passed. How do you gauge how much someone has drunk if their friends are buying the drinks for them?

However the task force's methods have got Liberty Victoria and the Victorian Law Reform Commission all in a spin. The people filmed in the footage can be used as evidence and could be considered an invasion of privacy. Liberty Victoria chairman Spencer Zifcak said, "The problem here is that they're targeting large numbers of innocent drinkers in a way that clearly invades their privacy and places their identity and whereabouts on film that can be used in legal proceedings."

I worked in hospitality for many years and in those years, worked behind a bar and turned people away, but I also probably served people that were drunk but didn't show the typical characteristics of a "drunk" person. Ask yourself, how would you define a drunk person? Loud? Obnoxious? Spinning shit? This could be someone sober, or do you need physical proof? Stumbling, knocking chairs over, falling asleep against a wall or aggression and violence? The definition of drunkenness is open to interpretation and the police have acknowledged this.

So, next time your out and about, smile, because your drunken acts may be appearing in a court room near you.

Thoughts? Do you think this is a fair and just way to persecute? Is it an invasion of privacy?

Quote Of The Day

"What you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful."

- Slide, Goo Goo Dolls

Quote Of The Day

"An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject and who manages to avoid them."

- Werner Heisenberg

Quote Of The Day

"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."

-Oscar Wilde

Let's Talk About Breast....Cancer That Is

Their are many words in the English language that conjure strong emotions, but none so much as the word cancer. Six letters, used in any other word or order wouldn't bring as much fear as this word does. We hear about it all the time, no doubt know people who have had it or still have it. It is, unfortunately, a part of our lives, and weather it is technology informing and picking up on it earlier or life style reasons, cancer is the gate crasher to many of our parties.

So what is cancer?

We hear about it all the time, but do you know what it actually is? Cancer is a disease of the bodies cells. The cells grow and multiply in a controlled manner but if their is a glitch in this process, a mistake in the genetic blueprint, cancerous cells are produced. So, in other words, cancer cells are mutant cells in our bodies.

Breast Cancer: The following is information on breast cancer from the Pink Ribbon Day website

As cancerous cells can arise from almost any type of tissue cell, cancer actually refers to about 100 different diseases. Breast cancer starts in the ducts or lobules of the breast. Cells lining the ducts or lobules can grow out of control and develop into cancer. Some breast cancers are found when they are still confined to the ducts or lobules of the breast. This is called pre-invasive breast cancer. The most common types are ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).

Most breast cancers are found when they are invasive. This means the cancer has spread outside the ducts or lobules of the breast into surrounding tissue. There are several types of invasive breast cancer:

• Early breast cancer: contained in the breast but may have spread to one or more lymph nodes in the armpit.
• Locally advanced breast cancer: may have spread to places near the breast, such as the chest (including the skin, muscles or bones of the chest), but the cancer isn’t found in other areas of the body.
• Metastatic breast cancer: the cancer cells spread from the breast to other areas of the body, such as the bones, liver or the lungs. It may also be called advanced breast cancer.

Facts:

By the age of 85, 1 in 9 Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 1 in 730 for men. That's right, men can get breast cancer too

It is estimated that 12 700 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. 2500 of these will lose their battle

As a woman you should be aware of your breasts and constantly monitor them. Look for any changes, lumps or bumps, puckering, weeping, anything that has changed. The best time to check your breasts, is the same time every month, so after your period.

Pink Ribbon Day is October 24th. To find out more information or how you can take part, please click on the above link. 

Quote Of The Day

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

-Muhammad Ali

Odd Spot - The Age

For a small fee, two Alabama game wardens will turn cremated remains into ammunition the deceased's loved ones can fire. Warden Thad Holmes said it sounded strange to those not comfortable around guns, "but for those who are, it's not weird at all."

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 05/10/11

2011 - Anything Goes?

This post is prompted by several things. For a while now I have hung onto an email about ads that don't work anymore, mainly because they are extremely sexist by todays standards and just plain lies (think Mad Men when they were thinking of a print ad with doctors recommending their favourite brand of cigarettes) but because of this they are now very amusing.

I thought I would combine this post as it seemed quite fitting. For awhile now I have questioned where this country and the world in general is going. We now can communicate with each other and someone on the other side of the world within seconds, yet our social skills are waning. Children no longer write cursive and are losing the ability to write something with meaning longer then 140 characters long.

Excepting an invite has changed: yes or no is no longer your only option, maybe is an answer too (while you wait for something better that may come along) poking someone is a form of hello and the only mail you receive in the mail nowadays is bills and jury duty notices.

We no longer can do the same things we did when we were younger because now we may offend people.  Christmas trees and nativity scenes are a thing of the past. The Easter Bunny will kill you. You can't run onto the MCG anymore after a game without the risk of a $7000 (and growing) fine. Casual dress days with restrictions. The amount of food you can't eat whilst pregnant. Text messaging instead of calling. Working mothers condemned. Stay at home mothers condemned. Speeding up when someone is trying to over take, because how dare someone overtake you? Australians now have a sense of entitlement and a "you can't do that to me attitude".

So, I ask you, are we in the age of anything goes?

Australia still has a backwards view of the world and is predominately still very sexist like these ads. I have encountered this through work and life in general and I'm sure many men have too. I'm a woman so what would I know about cars and football? I shouldn't swear and drink because it unlady like. We live in a country that in 2004 changed the law so the definition of marriage was specifically outlined as between a man and a woman, deliberately excluding the possibility of same-sex marriage. Still feel like you're in 2011?

I am of an age where those around me are getting married and the same question is always asked; are you changing or keeping your surname? This notion only a few decades ago would never have been conceived, but in 2011 is quite a common question. Then why when this subject came up again recently, was I  frowned upon when I said I would keep my name despite the fact my partner wanted me to change it? It was this lack of regard for my partners wishes that made me the devil incarnate! My head spun with the time travel back to the time of these ads. Sure, I care what my partner thinks, but at the end of the day, it is my decision.

Despite the fact that women have never had as much freedom as we do now, are we still bound to societies rules and regulations? Does anything go or are we moving backwards? Has our new found freedom gone to our heads and damned us? Do we have so many choices now we don't know what's right anymore and have lost all morals?

Soapbox open for inspection.

Explained Absence

Regular readers of this blog may have noticed a rapid decline in postings of late. I have in the past been rather spasmodic with my posts, but 2011 was to be the year of my blog! Alas, my body had other ideas.

After several tests, a hospital visit and more tests and fasting, the doctors are no closer to explaining what is wrong with me, so I have been trying to give my body (and mind) a break. Some time away by the ocean helped immensely but then the medication I'm on helps too! I work full time so by the end of the day I can barely drive home let alone construct sentences.

I am feeling better then I was though, and hope to be full steam ahead again shortly, so please, in the meantime become a follower and you will be notified of any new posts.

Till my next rant....

John Cleese On Terrorism

There's nothing funny about terrorism, and unfortunately in our life time we have seen the worst terrorist attack in history (September 11) and the biggest terrorist attack involving Australians (the Bali bombings) but comedians make comical observations on life, including terror threats.

Below is John Cleese's take on Europe's handling of terrorism - with Australia thrown in for good measure (we are part of the colonies after all). I'm a huge Monty Python fan (I'm  a proud owner of a "I'm not dead yet." t-shirt - thanks Katie) and when this was sent to me via email I had to share it. Whether you like Monty Python or not, John Cleese's take on how countries deal with drama is amusing.

Here it is:

ALERTS TO THREATS IN 2011:

BY JOHN CLEESE
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved.." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is canceled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person

Odd Spot - The Age

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio is using artificial plaster eggs to fool its mother flamingoes so they don't wear themselves out laying replacement eggs when keepers take them away to be incubated.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 16/07/11

Quote Of The Day

"There are three kinds of people in the world, the wills, the won'ts and the can'ts. The first accomplish everything; the second oppose everything; the third fail in everything."


-Eclectic Magazine

DEBATE: Should Australia Have A Carbon Tax?

Carbon Tax; two words that separate, don't really mean much, but together mean a lot to the Australian people and thanks the the Gillard governments announcement of the carbon tax price ($23 per tonne) on Sunday, those two words of Carbon Tax aren't going away anytime soon. The Gillard Government announced that from July 1st 2012, the Carbon Tax will take place. Here, writers Emma Gardiner - Deans and Stephen Davies debate the reasons why you should and shouldn't vote for the carbon tax.

AFFIRMATIVE: Emma Gardiner - Deans

Carbon dating: Why you should fall in love with the new carbon tax


I’m embarrassed to admit that I had to Google ‘Carbon tax’.

It’s not that I don’t care or am completely ignorant; it’s just that it’s quite complicated.
Trading schemes and caps aside, the upshot is that the carbon tax penalises polluters. Most companies only feel pain in their bottom lines so it makes sense to incentivise them where it hurts.

This scheme places the Australian government at the vanguard of revolutionary policy; a welcome change considering how thoroughly backward it’s been in the past (see: indigenous rights).
The Labor government has made some brave moves over the past three years – laptops in primary schools, maternity leave provisions, saying sorry at long last – and this is one more step in the right direction. Now, to get the mining tax across the line … but I digress.

This is not greenie-wishy-washiness. This is a tax based on the scientific facts surrounding global warming and dwindling fossil fuel reserves. It’s not about environmentalism; it’s about inventory management, which is a relief considering that lightweight environmentalism is fundamentally flawed. Many so-called ‘environmentalists’ fill their trolleys with organic food packaged in plastic, shove it all in a green bag and then drive home in their petrol-fuelled cars.

It’s fashionable to pretend you care but it’s an entirely different proposition when caring becomes a fiscal decision.

The carbon tax will increase the price of all sorts of things; basically anything that requires fossil fuels to make, transport or power. No one will be able to weasel their way out of paying the $26 tax per tonne of carbon dioxide. And you know what? You want to pollute? You should be made accountable.

In the same way you have to pay rates for rubbish collection, water, roads and other civic necessities, you should have to pay for infringements on air and water quality.
Imagine a world where there are safe bike paths, an abundance of solar, wind and water powered energy sources and the air and water is clean.

Contrast this with a world where the roads are strangled with traffic, power comes from coal or oil and the air and water are increasingly polluted.

Hang on; that’s the way things are now.

Go ahead. Tax me. I want the government to increase the pressure on me – and everyone else – who is too lazy, complacent or indifferent to make the necessary improvements to their habits.

Emma is the Founder and Creative Communications Director of Blossom Media.
She is communications specialist with over 10 years of media experience. She has a BA Communications from the University of Newcastle and started her career as a radio producer with ABC Newcastle, later moving to Sydney to become a print journalist on both consumer and trade titles. She has spent the past seven years working in consumer PR. Today Emma is the part-time PR Manager at Unique Tourism Collection and freelances for Toga Hospitality. She project manages Daily Addict xChange, a weekly women’s networking event created in partnership with Merivale and is a regular contributor to DailyAddict.com.au. She is the Founder and Publisher of SheGoes.com.au, a travel blog for adventurous people.


NEGATIVE: Stephen Davies

At school I did work experience at a vet. This usually involved holding things and mucking out cages. But sometimes I'd get the dreaded call to help comfort a dog while it was euthanised. The sight of someone's best friend, left behind to shuffle off alone, terrified, is horrible. My job was to pat and talk to the dog so they wouldn't be scared during the injection, and while they faded away. It haunts me today. I still remember the sad, resigned looks in their eyes.

I know that look, and I see it every time I look at Julia Gillard. How high were the hopes when she ousted Kevin Rudd, and how low the polls a year on. There are many reasons for this, but one that hangs around her like an albatross - the carbon price.

Australia needs action on climate change. It's right the government has adopted Ross Garnaut's suggestions (partly) to price carbon despite saying they wouldn't (in completely different circumstances than the current minority government) and Kevin Rudd ‘walking away’ from the ETS (he didn’t really).

Why, then, could anyone be against it? When it was announced, there was much hysteria from people who only a year earlier sent Rudd's approval rating plummeting for 'shelving' the ETS. The public is fickle. They don't care that the carbon price (it's not really a 'tax') is the first step toward that ETS.

The public would rather listen to Tony Abbott, an atavistic DLP-throwback whose entire platform as an alternative government rests on opposing, sniping at and (impossibly) promising to repeal a carbon price.

Abbott has been travelling the country, promising that it will drive up the cost of everything from sunshine to babies' smiles, destroy industry and end civilisation. While government support erodes, we have no similar scrutiny of his policy - throwing money at big polluters. This will actually cost 'battlers' much more.

We should oppose the carbon price to upset Abbott. Anyone who has read 'Battlelines' will know he isn't quite the idiot he seems. But he'll do anything and say anything to get into power. By focusing on an unpopular policy, one he doesn't even have details of, he's going to coast into the Lodge. By shelving this sensible policy we'd be cutting down on one of Australia's main sources of noxious emissions - the lies about it coming from our ascendant opposition leader.

Stephen Davis is an editor and writer based in Melbourne. You can read his blog here and follow him on Twitter at @stephendevice



If you would like to contribute to a debate, please contact Clare at g_o_a_s@hotmail.com or send her a message via Twitter

What's The Rush?

My name is Clare, and I am a Nanna stuck in a 27-year-olds body. I am reminded of this fact on a daily basis, mostly by those that are the same age as me and younger and sometimes by those that are older than me. I've never been a clubber, a dance every now and then is great but I've always preferred a quiet drink and chat at the pub verses a screaming match on a dance floor. (you know when someone yells so loud in your ear that it reverberates and tickles? No thanks) but I'm wondering if I'm the last old soul on the planet with some form of politeness and common decency.

I used to be one of those people who would call a friend whilst food shopping and although I acknowledged and thanked the checkout person I continued to have my conversation while they served me. I didn't think anything of it till I heard some people talk about it one day saying how rude it was and it got me thinking. It was rude of me. I was basically telling the checkout person: your not worth my attention, my conversation is far more important then you. From that day on I stopped. On the flipside, I find it very rude when the checkout people hold a conversation with a work colleague (or annoying friends not working and standing on the side) and not paying attention to what they're doing or me. Perhaps they've had so many people not paying attention to them that they need to speak to someone.

I am, in many ways a Nanna, but in many others a Gen-Yer. I have grown accustomed to fast internet (I'm no longer used to watching a green bar load at the bottom of my page and if it dares to take longer then 3 seconds to load I glare and curse the day it was created) but I still say please and thank you. If I find I have a spare minute while waiting for something I whip out my iphone and check emails, Twitter, or if I have gone over my internet threshold, play PacMan or Angry Birds. But if someone sneezes I say bless you and hold doors open for people. Not because I'm paving a road to Heaven (although that would be nice thank you, much nicer than the alternative) but because it's courteous and how is holding a door open for someone going to hold me up?

I ask you dear readers, when did it become acceptable to answer your mobile while on the phone to somebody else? This has happened to me many times at work when I will be half way through a conversation and their mobile will begin to ring and I get "Oh, I have to get this, you don't mind waiting?" Sometimes I don't even get that. Why is your time less important then mine? Where are your manners? Why would you start another conversation before you have finished the first one?!

I fear that technology is making us lazy and rude. What's the rush? Recently, my partner was in a fast food chain and watched in amazement as people fumed, waiting for their food. It's called fast food for a reason and yet  these people couldn't even wait that long! All three lanes on a freeway are now a Grand Prix racetrack. Road rage is at an all time high. Have you noticed how hardly anyone acknowledges you anymore when you let them into your lane? It's as if it was their right you let them rather then you not being in a rush and being nice and letting them in. Doctors have noticed that we as humans have a severely diminished attention span compared to 20 years ago. Technology is doing all the thinking for us. People joke about cars that will drive for us, but don't joke, they'll probably be released in your life time.

A few months ago I got stared down by a P-platers passenger because the P-plater couldn't merge into my lane when he wanted too. He then proceeded to cut me off and I got the stare down from his passenger. As much as I wanted to give the little so and so the one finger salute, my Nanna gene kicked in and I took the moral high ground and ignored him (have you noticed how road rage incidents have gone up?) We no longer take the time to smell the roses and chill. out.

I like tea, manners, good customer service, 80s pop music and I sometimes cut dates with my partner short because I want to get back to my book, but does that make me a nanna? Or a relic from the dark ages? Or a member of the last generation that remembers what life was like before internet, iphones, GPS, DVDs and when you got slapped for being insolent?

Stepping off soapbox and handing my megaphone to you, what do you all think?

Quote Of The Day

"You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down."

-Annie Dillard

Odd Spot - The Age

Three robbers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, made off with plenty of dough but no cash. The knife and hatchet-wielding trio were nabbed on video holding up a Dunkin Donuts shop. They demanded staff hand over a bag they believed was full of cash. They fled to find it full of doughnuts.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 13/06/11

Quote Of The Day

"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."

-JFK

Odd Spot - The Age

Japanese inventors have created fluffy cat's ears for humans that read their brainwaves. The cute-meets-high-tech headwear detects when the wearer is concentrating and the ears perk up like an alert feline. When they relax the ears lay flat against the head.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 10/06/11

Quote Of The Day

"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest. It's about those who came and never left your side."

-Anon

Odd Spot - The Age

Kansas City police, responding to a rare alligator sighting, acted quickly and shot it in the head as instructed, while it lurked in weeds near a pond. It wasn't until a second shot bounced off its head that they realised they had mortally wounded a concrete lawn ornament.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper 06/06/11

Quote Of The Day

"The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory."

-Anon

Hangover II Boycott

The name Scott McLean may not mean anything to you, what with the names Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper screaming from the poster, but to those in the stunt world Aussie McLean is well known and chances are you have seen him but not realised it. McLean has done stunts in several blockbusters such as The Matrix, Superman and the Star Wars franchise and most of the stunts in the Hangover II.

In the trailer for the much anticipated sequel, a car chase is shown where one of the characters (Ed Helms) has his head out the car window. Helms head wasn't actually out the window but rather McLean, Helms stuntman was. The shot was perfect and used in the film, but what most of the world won't know is what happened next. A split second after that shot, the car McLean was in didn't serve in time and McLean's head slammed into the side of a truck, leaving him with a severe brain injury that is likely to never see him work as a stuntman again.

When I read this in last Sunday's Age, I was sickened at the thought and felt for McLean's family. Imagine having to watch the accident that left your brother, partner, work colleague learning to walk and talk again. McLean did a good job of the stunt (this is obvious as the shot was used in the film) but the inclusion of the footage has left McLean's family justifiably angry. "To have that scene used in the preview is a real kick in the face to all those who know Scott. It is sickening to watch as we all know what happened next, " McLean's sister-in-law Michelle told The Age.

Warner Brother's flew McLean's family to Bangkok after the incident and have paid his medical bills thus far, but the real test will be when McLean leaves the rehabilitation centre he is in and the future. I know serious injury it is a risk that all stuntmen and women take every day they step onto the set and they know what they're getting themselves into. However, it makes me think, how many shots are used in films where people have been seriously hurt that we don't know about? Is this just a normal Hollywood procedure that we've only been made aware of because this time it was an Aussie that got hurt?

I, like many Aussies (opening weekend the film made $513.525) was looking forward to the sequel and my Bradley Cooper fix, but in protest and more that I no longer want to see a film that thinks it's OK to use a scene where a man was seriously injured, will not see The Hangover II. This is very much a soapbox post and I don't expect you all to follow, but I felt that you needed to be made aware that while the Hollywood cast walk and talk on the red carpet, a man lies in Sydney learning how to walk and talk again.

Odd Spot - The Age

Cartoon beauty Jessica Rabbit has been named the top screen siren - ahead of real-life stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. The red-haird vamp topped a poll by website Lovefilm to mark what would have been Marilyn Monroe's 85th birthday.

*As published on the front page of The Age newspaper

Victorian Potty-Mouths Beware

When you go out tomorrow night, or Saturday night, or any time you step out of your house, watch your Ps and Qs because the Victorian Government has just introduced new laws that will see the police being able to fine you on the spot for swearing.

Swearing has been a punishable offence in Victoria since 1966 but the new laws introduced by the Baillieu government in an initiative to curb violence on Melbourne's streets, could find you $240 out of pocket. Fines will be slapped on if swearing is deemed indecent, disorderly, offensive or threatening and it doesn't even have to have been overheard for a fine to occur. (Not 100% sure how that last one works)

The Baillieu Government and the Victorian Police are hoping that the fines will deter people from swearing which is usually accompanied with aggressive behaviour. Attorney-General Robert Clarke told The Age that the reasoning behind the new incentives was to free up police workloads and keep things out of the courts. He said: "It frees up police time for other law enforcement activities and enables them to more readily issue penalties against those offenders who deserve them."

To me this is a band aid tactic by the Baillieu Government when their time and energy could be better spent. Despite the fact that swearing has been a criminal act since '66, I don't think this is something that people should be fined for. The Victorian Government is going to have a very big swear jar. I agree that aggressive behaviour should be punishable, but who decides when swearing at someone has gone too far? When the f word is followed by a punch? Or when you trip and say oh shit?

Your thoughts?

Quote Of The Day

"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."


- Mark Houlahan

Quote Of The Day

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death."

-Albert Einstein

DEBATE: Has Prince William's recent visit to Australia pushed the Republican movement back in Australia?

Ding! Ding! It's round two for GOAS debates and writers Stephen Davis and Seamus McCarthy have stepped up to the challenge. This debate revolves around Prince William's recent visit to flood damaged Queensland and Victoria and who was greeted with open arms, much to the disgust of republicans.

Recent polls indicated a slump in those pro-republic, the lowest in 17 years. The poll, run by The Australian newspaper, was taken shortly after William's marriage to Catherine, indicating that many Australian's still want a link to Mother England.

NEGATIVE: Stephen Davies

Prince William visiting Australia doesn't set the Republican movement back in the same way that finding you have a cough doesn't harm your local pharmacy. William's visit makes the monarchy more visible. Monarchists would think that's a good thing, but what it does is actually remind Australia that they're still around. Noticing the monarchy for more than a second serves largely to highlight for us what a ridiculously anachronistic, irrelevant and stagnant institution it really is. Even if it is being represented by it's most likable member.

William is like the nice, friendly, colourful picture on the biscuit lid that masks the fact that when you open the tin it's full of spiders and cobwebs. Someone who only turns up during disasters - we're talking here about the recent floods in Queensland and Victoria, and the catastrophic earthquakes in Christchurch - is unlikely to be that warmly received after a while. 'Oh great, the Prince of Doom is here, this must have been a lot worse than we thought.' In New Zealand, where they're proudly British and monarchist, William's visit is exciting. Here, it's more like another prat with a camera crew coming to pick through the rubble while you dry out your house.

Fresh-faced saviour of the monarchy though he might have once been, young William's not looking so hot any more. Even the excitement of his impending nuptials can't quite mask the fact that what at fourteen was heartthrob material is now rapidly metamorphosing into Prince Phillip. Kate Middleton might give them a bit more life, like a vampire after a nice suck on a virgin, but only for a while. She is, as the British press keep saying, the new Diana. Which is ironic, as it's because of the British press that we need a new Diana in the first place. Spare a thought for her ‘fairy-tale wedding’ - marrying the remnants of the handsome prince, only to spend each night in bed with the frog looming over her.

William visiting us is nice. It's also the absolute least someone who considered himself the future king of this part of the world could do. But all of it camouflages the real truth - that if he were a genuinely Australian head of state he wouldn't need to travel from the other side of the world to see us when shit hit the fan. He'd already be here.

Stephen Davies is an editor and writer based in Melbourne. You can read his blog here and follow him on Twitter at @stephendevice

AFFIRMATIVE: Seamus McCarthy

Hmmm. How to write an opinion on something you generally don’t have an interest in having an opinion on?


But here goes. William’s trip to the disaster struck Australia was two-pronged. Firstly, he was a Royal dignitary sent to cheer up the colonies and let them know that the Motherland is thinking of them.

Secondly, it was a promotional gig for the then upcoming wedding; otherwise, it would have been Harry or Larry or Mo who visited. He was the teaser-trailer the Royal wedding.

But why? In short- survival by popularity on the part of the Royals. Just like Bodicea, 1066ad, William Shakespeare, the industrial revolution, the Battle of Britain and the Wombles... I mean, the Royals, all these things create a sense of identity for the people of Britain.

In turn, Australia has Matthew Flinders, the establishing of Van Diemen’s Land, ANZAC, post World War 2 immigration, and, of course, Paul Hogan and thongs. But of all the things that make up who you are as a nation the one thing you can’t deny is where you came from, no matter how much you don’t like it. This is why Australia has not become a Republic thus far, because the “Old hat” generations cling to tradition for the sense of belonging with something older, something greater.

When the Royals clearly realised they no longer lived in the old Monarchy world they changed, but they did not change on a whim. This was calculated. Assessed and reassessed; tailored to the people for their own survival benefits. It all began with allowing the public access to Buckingham palace and Windsor (granted, due to finance issues) which gave people the perceived sense of being part of something greater. Citizens from nations all over the world flocked to the gates of the palaces and handed over their hard earned Yen to see this other world. Then came the marriage of Charles and Camilla and finally the two Princes became men greatly scrutinised. And the truth is people welcomed this new Monarchy back with open arms because it symbolises such a sense of identity to them. What has this got to do with Australia? Exactly that- a sense of identity. People want it; people need it to feel part of something.

So, cutting to the chase if it were down to the few to decide if we become a republic or not, we probably would. As long as, however, it is left up to the people at the ballot box (as it should be), I think the Prince’s visit and the 7 million televisions he left tuned into his wedding after leaving Australia, will surely win over the emotional hearts of the people... the voters... the reader of Who and Woman’s Weekly... the true deciders of the Peoples Republic of Australia.

Seamus is a Melbourne based writer who in his native country of Ireland won several short story competitions and had his first children's book, "Where in the Alphabet is Ethan Echidna" published by Brolga in 2010. You can read Seamus' up-coming blog here

What do you think folks? Are you pro-Republic or would you be quite happy to stay under the Monarchy?

Are you a writer who would be interested in taking part in a debate? If so, email your interest to g_o_a_s@hotmail.com

Nana Strikes Again

2012 will go down in Australian history as the year we officially achieved Nana status. Already dismayed and disillusioned about where our society is headed, I spat out my toothpaste in disgust when I heard on the radio that the Australian Government will introduce tougher child care centre laws next year in relation to the naughty corner and religious and cultural activities.

As of  next year, child care centres can risk fines up to $50 000 and $10 000 for supervisors if they are seen to "separate" a child from the group or make them participate in cultural activities such as decorating a Christmas tree or go on a Easter egg hunt.

According to the Education and Care Services National Act, centres must "ensure that a child being educated and cared for by the service is not separated from other children for any reason other than illness or an accident...and that children cannot be "required to undertake activities that are inappropriate, having regard to each family and cultural values, age and physical and intellectual development."

The wording of "separation" without clear definition has centres worried. Alliance president Gwynn Bridge told The Australian newspaper, "There is time out but naughty corners went out years ago. You move a child away from the group and talk to them about their behaviour. But we don't know the meaning of the word 'separate' - is it distance? This needs clarification otherwise people will be in breach without realising it."

But is separating a child for doing something wrong such a bad thing? Bridges makes mention that you speak to the child about their behaviour but we are talking about a person under 5 here; can they fully comprehend that they have done something wrong if they aren't made to feel they have?

It seems that over the years telling a child "no" was seen as a bad thing. Young university students training to be teachers are told you can't tell a child "no". Why not? What harm does it do?

Jan Deans is the Director of Early Learning Centre at the University of Melbourne and believes that removing a child from their peer group can be damaging. "It can affect children's self esteem. It is something that has been seen as inappropriate for quite a long time... I think common sense would tell you that if you were regularly having to experience separation from others and made to feel less worthy, that child would gradually start to feel not as confidant as other members who are receiving positive affirmation."

As a former sports coach, if one of my children was misbehaving and was putting themselves and others around them at risk, I would make them have a sit down and think about what they had done. They got a warning, but if they did it again, time out. Yes, sometimes I had tears and once I had a parent accost me and ask why her child was sitting down, but I told her that her child had done the wrong thing and that she could join in again after a brief sit down. I only had to do it once and the child learnt.

Whether they felt embarrassed or ashamed, I don't know, what I do know is that they realised they had done something they wern't supposed to and were punished by missing out on some fun. I think that's the bottom line: we have become so worried about what is right for our children that we will have a generation of children ill prepared for the world. NEWS FLASH: Life isn't fair, there are winners and there are losers. Sometimes you have to work hard to get what you want and sometimes no matter how hard you try you may not get it, but you have to be in it to win it. We are wrapping children in cotton wool so tight that when they claw out of the cocoon, they're going to fall flat on their faces and won't have a clue how to fly.

The new inclusion of children no longer being allowed to take part in Christmas tree decorating and Easter egg hunts saddens me. I understand that as Australia grows in population, so too does it's diverse religions but decorating a tree and hunting for chocolate is fun and one that I don't see it as offensive, but, staying true to form, the Australian Government doesn't want to offend the minority. What if centres celebrated and introduced different cultural activities so no on was left out? Surely educating and broadening the minds of children is not a bad thing? I understand the argument is that no child should have a religious or cultural experience forced upon them, but come on! It's decorating a tree and looking for sugary goodness! It's hardly the devil at play!

I don't have children yet but I know that if or when I do, I know I'll want the best for them and that includes them being taught the difference between right or wrong, not just pandering to their whims and considering what might hurt their feelings. Who cares if they miss out on  a few minutes of activities because they did something wrong, as long as they learn from their mistake? Talk to them by all means but leave them to stew. What are we teaching our children? That their actions won't have consequences?

Perhaps the wording of "separation" will become an issue as some parents no doubt will see this as an opportunity to sue , another problem with our society. Parents do the best they can and pray (sorry, "hope" no religious connotations allowed) for the best. But, if we continue to walk down the path we are, society as we know it will die.

Quote Of The Day

"Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!"

-Jane Austen

Quote Of The Day

"The greatest wealth is to be rich in friends- but if possible let them be rich friends."

-Ashleigh Brilliant

Step Back Think

On October 13th, 2006 James Macready-Bryan went out into Melbourne to celebrate his 20th birthday. Like many men his age, life was good. He had just completed an International Baccalaureate and had been excepted into Monash University for Arts/Law. He was liked by many for his friendly persona and sports ability.  But that night, James' life took a sickening twist; James received one punch to the back of the head that left him with an acquired brain injury and robbed him of the ability to talk or feed himself, unable to control his own movements and made him wheelchair bound.

One punch.

Shannon McCormack. Ben Thompson. Cain Aguiar. David Hookes. Matthew McEvoy. Mark Urch. These names may not mean anything to you, or one or two may seem familiar, but you're not sure why. All of the above were king hit or received one punch that changed their lives forever. In the cases of David Hookes, Matthew McEvoy, Mark Urch, Shannon McCormack and Cain Aguiar, one punch killed them. Ben Thompson and James Macready-Bryan are in what doctors call a 'twilight state', neither here or there.

James' friends were sick and tired of opening the newspaper on a Saturday and Sunday morning and reading of a similar case to their friend. Something had to be done, and so Step Back Think was born.

Step Back Think, has two purposes: one, is ongoing support for their friend and secondly to educate young people on the dangers of alcohol fuelled violence and aggressive behaviour. The group began work with the Department of Education creating pilot programs aimed at year 9 students to make them aware of the dangers of aggressive behaviour and to simply, step back and think.

Chief police commissioner Simon Overland dropped a bomb shell of a statistic when he claimed that a 'one-punch homicide' happened in Melbourne once a month.

Step Back Think supports the Victorian Department of Justice campaign, Championship Moves, humorous videos aimed at males ages 18-25 to protect their friends from possible dangerous situations when out drinking. To view all of them, click here.

Other incentives Step Back Think have created are a website created for a venue rating system where people can leave feedback on places on whether they are prone to violence or not. Another incentive is a pre-booking system where you can avoid queses by booking into a place first, an initiative that some places already use.

The jury is out on why Melbourne is becoming more violent. Some think it's alcohol and drugs, others think it's the current generations feeling of self-importance and how-dare-you-knock-me mentality.

Either way, I, like James  Macready-Bryans friends am sick and tired of hearing of another life wasted due to one second of madness. Something has to be done, whether it's an improved police presence or tougher liquor licensing laws or education, something has to get through to these young men (and women) that aggression is not the answer to a problem. Grow some balls, and walk away.

What do you all think? Do you think this sort of program will get thorough to some people or are king hits something we'll have to get used to hearing about? Like the TAC ads do you think it will reach some people, but not all?

Why do you think Melbourne has become more violent?

For more information and to watch a video of those affected by one-punch violence click here

Quote Of The Day

"When written in Chinese the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters; one represents danger and the other represents opportunity."

-JFK

Quote Of The Day

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose."

-Dr Seuss

Quote Of The Day

"Whose bread I eat, his song I sing."

-German proverb

Two Little Words: Carbon Tax

You'd have to have been living under a rock to have not heard the grumblings and rumblings in parliament this past week about instilling a tax on carbon. But what does this all mean and why are people getting so emotional about it?

What is it?
A carbon tax is a tax on pollution; it places a fee on production, distribution or the use of fossil fuels based on how many carbons they emit. The Government then makes a price per tonne which becomes a tax on utilities such as electricity, natural gas, oil and petroleum. The aim is that a rise in price and tax on businesses and households will ease on the consumption of these utilities and therefore help protect the environment from further damage and global warming.

Australia
The Gillard government is proposing a carbon tax to begin in July 2012 and to run for three to five years before becoming a free trading emissions scheme.

How will this effect me?
Although the Gillard government have not come out and said what the set prices will be, there has been speculation by the coalition that Australian households could be paying more then $300 a year in electricity bills and an extra 6.5 cents a litre in petrol; $3 more then what we're currently paying. Greens leader Bob Brown claims that the tax will not hurt Australians hip pockets, telling channel 10: "Our job is to ensure that the average Australian household and car user is not punished by a carbon price. The idea is to make polluters pay." However, the Gillard government have said that the money from the tax will come come back as a form of compensation for low income earners and they will benefit from the tax scheme.

Why are people angry at Prime Minister Julia Gillard over this?
On the eve of the election Julia Gillard quite plainly stated: "I rule out a carbon tax." adding more fuel to the fire (pun intended) that Prime Minister Gillard is at the mercy of the Greens and Independents that helped her win the election. The tax hasn't passed through parliament yet and still may not become a tax, but people are already worried if it does pass, petrol prices and household bills will be so inflamed the cost of living will be almost unattainable. Time will tell.

Quote Of The Day

"Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don't."

-Earl Wilson

The Modern Guide To Making Your Marriage Work: Tip 1, Cheat

The below quote by now deceased actor Paul Newman is possibly the most romantic words to have ever been uttered out of a mans mouth. Newman was married to his wife, fellow actress Joanne Woodward for 52 years before his death last year. Newman was often asked questions about his relationship, perhaps from people who wanted to know his secret - how could he have been with only one person for 52 years? How, in today's day and age, where 1/3 of marriages in Australia end in divorce, did a marriage survive that long? Newman and Woodward may have been lucky, Newman summed Woodward up as being steak, but do people nowadays want some take-away in their relationship? A side of wedges instead of the healthier and safer side of salad to accompany their main meal?

Recently, their has been a spate of articles on cheating; but they have focused on women doing the cheating, more specifically married women cheating. I'm not saying that this is a startling new revelation; people have been cheating since the dawn of time, and I'm not saying that men cheating is any less offensive, but it seems just as many women as men are cheating, but they don't want to leave their marriages and in all other aspects then the bedroom, are happy.

The articles have exposed that these women don't want to leave their husbands, they often still love them, they just want that side of wedges as well. Women have always been depicted as the more sensible and caring of the species, but these articles have shone a light on a new breed of woman: they want their cake and eat it too, and they often don't care for the other woman or their husbands. According to the article that appeared in Cleo's January issue "High Infidelity", relationship expert Susan De Campo says that many women justify their affairs by blaming the wives, believing that they're filling a void in that person's life and vice versa. One woman told Cleo: "I don't really feel sorry for his partner, I don't think she gives him what he needs. But I keep it separate in my mind anyway."

For these women, their affairs are getting the fun stuff they want from a relationship, without the boring everyday stuff. These women are getting hot sex, presents and ego boosts and then going home to their husbands. But for all the ego stroking and mind blowing orgasms, it it worth the time and effort? One woman in an article in  The Age recently divulged that she had two phones; one for everyone including her husband and one for her lover, which she pulled apart and put together every time to text and ring to organise hook ups. Another woman has a special program on her computer that wipes the memory as soon as she turns it off, a rather expensive but necessary tool for her infidelity.

To these women, cheating is a way to keep themselves and their families happy; they don't want divorce and see this as a way to maintain the marriage; but is it unhealthy or could this be the way of the modern marriage? Is it downright unacceptable and these women should be burned at the stake? Or would this be acceptable if both parties knew about it and both could cheat? A new film coming out called "Hall Pass" addresses this issue when the wives and husbands give each other a hall pass (ie free pass) for one week to be with someone other then their partners. It will be interesting to see how this works; will each couple see the light and see that their partner is really the one for them, or will it wreck havoc and just point out the flaws in their marriage?

Are women better cheaters (ie smarter about it and therefor have been doing this for years without getting caught) or is it a "I deserve better then this" 2000s mentality?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

PS: I would like to add that I am totally biased about cheating and  I don't condone it, but I was fascinated by these women and their ability to not feel guilty.

Quote Of The Day

"Why fool around with hamburger when you can have steak at home?"

-Paul Newman

Quote Of The Day

"In the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

-Abraham Lincoln

All's Fair In Love And War? Or Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned?

I didn't want to blog about this. I wanted to ignore it and hope that it went away, but alas, it hasn't. I doubt the writers who I admire and wrote those immortal words above, ever thought about Twitter, Facebook, nude scandal photos, Federal court cases, studio apartments and disowning parents, but I find that the two quotes above fit this little scenario perfectly.

For those of you who don't live in Victoria, this story has probably not even made a ripple in your pond, but for Melbournians, it's an ongoing tidal wave.

What is now well known is that last year a young girl fell in love with an AFL footballer and when things didn't work out, she posted nude photographs of his teammates on her Facebook page and then the whole of Melbourne discovered her pain.

Their are several reasons I wanted to ignore this. One, I was undecided how I felt about the whole situation: do I feel sorry for her or the footballer? Sure, something unfortunate has happened here but is she really campaigning for women everywhere, or is she setting us back about 40 years? This post is not here to try and decide who was right and who was wrong, and two I felt the young girl in the middle of this saga is too young to fully comprehend what she's doing, but what I do want to ask is this: do you think Australia places their athletes on a pedestal? Can our footballers, no matter what code they play, do no wrong in our eyes? Boys will be boys sort of thing or are they victims of eager, unstable women?

For now, the girl is being looked after by the St Kilda football club, something that she claimed she wanted from the start: for them to acknowledge that she had been poorly treated, but should the club as a whole have to take responsibility or should the individual footballer and even the girl take responsibility for their actions?

I hope for her sake she can move on from this and come out stronger and wiser.

But what do you all think? Can situations like this be avoided in the future? Or till the end of time will we be hearing about  drunken athletes and a girl who has been taken advantage of? As always, I'm eager to hear your thoughts.

Quote Of The Day

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden where the flowers are dead."

- Oscar Wilde

Quote Of The Day

"With people, as with pies, the upper crust is often the weakest."

-P.K Shaw

Australia: An Untamed And Restless Lover

As I watch from my safe and comparatively dry state at the horror that is rising in Queensland, I send silent prayers to those who have been effected and for the safe return of those 51 people who are still missing. I shake my head and wonder, how can one state burn while another is submerged? I am constantly amazed and shocked at the diversity and ferociousness that is Australia's landscape.

In Australia, if we're not burning, we're flooding, yet to find the happy medium of just right. It seems Australia is a violent lover, prone to fits of rage and drama and forever unsettled. Below is an iconic poem by Dorothea Mackellar, written in 1907 when she was in England and homesick for Australia. The poem has been mentioned a lot in the last few days and I think it sums Australia up beautifully.

When accusations and questions fly of who was at fault, let us remember: although this is tragic and reports suggest it will take two years for the state to recover, floods and bushfires are a natural part of Australia and have always happened, and will happen again, as sad as that is.  As Australian's we must be mindful of this and just do our best to support and help those effected. Read the poem and please  leave me your thoughts on the poem and if you think the floods could have been prevented.
 
           My Country

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

By Dorothea Mackellar

Quote Of The Day

"I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap."

-Bob Hope