Assumptions

Brittany Murphy, 32, died of a cardiac arrest in her home on the weekend.

Personally, I have loved her in everything she was in. Her vivacious character came through in every movie, you could tell she loved it. I don't think I ever heard a bad word about the actress, she was never too fat, or too thin. She didn't go commando out of lowered cars, she didn't take drugs, marry people for 54 hours, or sleep with 15 people who weren't her partner.

"It's horrible - the death of a beautiful young woman, a Hollywood icon; it has to be explained. It just can't be a tragic accident," he said.

"We don't want to accept that a beautiful young wife and daughter woke up one morning and died a tragic death"

Screenwriter Simon Monjack

Simon was her husband, partner, lover. And like he has said, my first thought was that she had taken drugs (i.e. Elvis dying of cardiac arrest ran through my head). Why cant celebrities just be a case of accidental and tragic death? Why does it always have to be something dramatic, when they are only really just normal people who are famous for their jobs?

Brittany Murphy was great, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm terribly sorry to hear that she will no longer grace our screens to entertain us, even if they movies she was in were all girlie, mind numbing type of movies.

The recession, or the $10 deal?

The economists tell us that Australia escaped the recession, because we didn't have three consecutive falls in the market. Woo-Hoo, so generally this should mean that people can still afford to live, have a job and be getting on with things.

Not so.
The most common complaint I hear myself (and others) say is "I haven't got any money." Not surprising, since the price of food and entertainment just keeps increasing, but pays don't seem to be keeping up with the mark. Myself, I didn't even get the inflationary 3% which most people receive, and yet I'm still expected to pay $4.40 for a Gatorade drink at the BP services station up the road from me.

When we hit the $10 or under mark for items, the variations in expense of things are clear...
1) Food Court Food: In a shopping centre, generally its fast food, and nothing of much nutritional value - I could not find anything to eat which included a drink for under $10, and really KFC and McDonald's were the cheapest thing there - no wonder we have such a high obesity rate.
2) Public Transport Prices: On the same day as the food court experience, I paid $8.40 for a return bus fare to the shopping centre, a half hour (bus)drive... probably more than it would cost someone with a car. To catch a train two stops in the opposite direction is $3.20, and for a return trip you can double that, unless its off peak. That is the cheapest train fare you can get. I suppose perhaps if people are eating McDonald's, and cant afford public transport the government sees that as a built in obesity scheme for society.
3) Pub prices: Its a fact that when a recession hits, people lean towards entertainment as a perk me up, an escapism from their troubles and woes. One popular venue is the pub. At the local dero bar, you can probably find some sort of jug for under $10, the AB Hotel selling their local ale for about $8, yet a jug of cider (the seasons most popular drink) is $21. No cider for me. To drink in the city (which is a $6.40 train fare to start with) its almost $10 a pop, at least $7 for a glass of wine, or a spirit, and prices go up when you are in more classy establishments or its later at night (i.e. Bank Hotel, prices are more expensive after 6).
4) Movie Prices: The one area of entertainment which has been comparably a cheap night out is the movies. But now, you cannot even get a ticket under $10 unless you are a 'tight arse Tuesday' type of person, reveling at the cheaper pizza's, cheaper movie tickets and generally anything that has a T.A.T. mentality attached to it.
5) AND YET... I have expanded my under $10 list this year, only out of necessity.
$2 clean skins - from Dan Murphy's
Feed yourself for a week - from my lovely local fruit and veg shop
$1.80 bread - from my lovely local bakery
2 ply toilet paper - as I cant afford the Australian made Sorbent
$8.50 Thai lunch special - courtesy of Big Boy Thai, and feeds me for 2 lunches
Clothing - the bargain bins at Glebe Markets - or not at all
Lucas Paw Paw Ointment - instead of $20 lip gloss from Body Shop that lasts 5 mins
Shop at the $2 shop - for your toiletries, generally you can get good brands at massive discounts
Glenmore Meats - about 3 times cheaper than my local supermarket, chicken packs for under $2

Living life without money most of the time makes you depressed. Having to watch every penny is a time consuming, soul breaking activity. Just once, I would like to be able to feed myself and go out to the movies in the same week...

We escaped the recession... right? The $10 deal

The economists tell us that Australia escaped the recession, because we didn't have three consecutive falls in the market. Woo-Hoo, so generally this should mean that people can still afford to live, have a job and be getting on with things.

Not so.
The most common complaint I hear myself (and others) say is "I haven't got any money." Not surprising, since the price of food and entertainment just keeps increasing, but pays don't seem to be keeping up with the mark. Myself, I didn't even get the inflationary 3% which most people receive, and yet I'm still expected to pay $4.40 for a Gatorade drink at the BP services station up the road from me.

When we hit the $10 or under mark for items, the variations in expense of things are clear...
1) Food Court Food: In a shopping centre, generally its fast food, and nothing of much nutritional value - I could not find anything to eat which included a drink for under $10, and really KFC and McDonald's were the cheapest thing there - no wonder we have such a high obesity rate.
2) Public Transport Prices: On the same day as the food court experience, I paid $8.40 for a return bus fare to the shopping centre, a half hour (bus)drive... probably more than it would cost someone with a car. To catch a train two stops in the opposite direction is $3.20, and for a return trip you can double that, unless its off peak. That is the cheapest train fare you can get. I suppose perhaps if people are eating McDonald's, and cant afford public transport the government sees that as a built in obesity scheme for society.
3) Pub prices: Its a fact that when a recession hits, people lean towards entertainment as a perk me up, an escapism from their troubles and woes. One popular venue is the pub. At the local dero bar, you can probably find some sort of jug for under $10, the AB Hotel selling their local ale for about $8, yet a jug of cider (the seasons most popular drink) is $21. No cider for me. To drink in the city (which is a $6.40 train fare to start with) its almost $10 a pop, at least $7 for a glass of wine, or a spirit, and prices go up when you are in more classy establishments or its later at night (i.e. Bank Hotel, prices are more expensive after 6).

4) Movie Prices: The one area of entertainment which has been comparably a cheap night out is the movies. But now, you cannot even get a ticket under $10 unless you are a 'tight arse Tuesday' type of person, reveling at the cheaper pizza's, cheaper movie tickets and generally anything that has a T.A.T. mentality attached to it.

5) AND YET... I have expanded my under $10 list this year, only out of necessity.

$2 clean skins - from Dan Murphy's

Feed yourself for a week - from my lovely local fruit and veg shop

$1.80 bread - from my lovely local bakery

2 ply toilet paper - as I cant afford the Australian made Sorbent

$8.50 Thai lunch special - courtesy of Big Boy Thai, and feeds me for 2 lunches

Clothing - the bargain bins at Glebe Markets - or not at all

Lucas Paw Paw Ointment - instead of $20 lip gloss from Body Shop that lasts 5 mins

Shop at the $2 shop - for your toiletries, generally you can get good brands at massive discounts

Glenmore Meats - about 3 times cheaper than my local supermarket, chicken packs for under $2

Living life without money most of the time makes you depressed. Having to watch every penny is a time consuming, soul breaking activity. Just once, I would like to be able to feed myself and go out to the movies in the same week...

The Reality of (reality)TV

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/wolcott-200912?currentPage=1

This is a brilliant article dissecting the world of Reality TV. The author even looks at the first Reality TV Show, Real Life from MTV.

This show lead the way for semi-adults (i.e. twenty-year-olds who have been promoted due to their youth) to say OK to teenagers when they act like spoiled 5-year-olds. Taking what they want, rather than asking for it and feeling that the world should bow at their feet.

No wonder they walk around with their heads in the clouds, they are waiting for someone to discover their life means enough to put them on a reality TV show.

December 2009: James Wolcott on Reality Television Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com

December 2009: James Wolcott on Reality Television Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com

This is a brilliant article dissecting the world of Reality TV. The author even looks at the first Reality TV Show, Real Life from MTV.

This show lead the way for semi-adults (i.e. twenty-year-olds who have been promoted due to their youth) to say OK to teenagers when they act like spoiled 5-year-olds. Taking what they want, rather than asking for it and feeling that the world should bow at their feet.

No wonder they walk around with their heads in the clouds, they are waiting for someone to discover their life means enough to put them on a reality TV show.

Homeback 2009 - 15th anniversary of the trashing of the Domain. Just a bit o

The youth of today may not know how to cook, read a book for longer than 10 minutes or take no for an answer, but they certainly know how to enjoy a good old Aussie music festival, 10 hours of dedicated party time and perhaps a bit of music appreciation as well - as long as they aren't so f#@ked off their heads that they can barely walk straight.

I have been attending Homebake since 1998, where the Domain was turned into a big mud pie. Since then, the organisers have seemed a bit more clued up to what antics youths will get up to. This year was the first time since 2007 that I have attended and I noticed several changes since the first year I attended, and even since 2007.

1) As long as you get paid to put trash in the bin it gets done
Homebake gives you a $1 token for every can or recycling bottle you take to designated recycling centres. A great idea, it saves the organisers spending hundreds on cleaners that will have to scour the venue picking up every can that is purchased. The results would from most people bring congratulations... from me not so. The fact that there were food wrappers, empty glass hip-flask vodka bottles and cigarette packets strewn about the place shows that the youth of today don't really care so much about the environment, and only when they get paid to do it. And even then - if you have the cash to spend $11 on a Smirnoff Vodka, and not worry about the $1 return, people will still chuck their rubbish on the ground, and leave it for those who care, or those who just want cheaper drinks, to pick up. (N.B. I consumed about 8 drinks, and spent about $10 dollars)

2) Sniffer dogs does not equal a drug-free event
Upon entering Art Gallery Road, its clear it becomes a patrolled event, police walk up and down the footpath, scalpers quietly whispering their offers of tickets, and assuming anyone with drugs has either consumed, or concealed. Not only is there the typical bag check at the door to make sure you aren't sneaking in alcohol, water or sunscreen (one bottle of sunscreen confiscated, and yet a aerosol deodorant retained), but boys are subjected to a metal detector (and some girls as well) and a "Sir, please lift your shirt", perhaps distractions from the black sniffer dogs that stand at ease by the policeman's side, eagerly anticipating detection. It took longer to get into Homebake that it to did to Big Day Out this year, and more security was present than at Sydney Airport when I flew last weekend. Kids, the new evil, who knew.

3) Cloning is in, individuality out
Fashion trends were clearly stated on Saturday. Jean shorts (and I mean short) are back in, as long as you are wearing gladiator sandals. Hats are in, as long as they are straw. No shirts are in, as long as you are buff. And anyone who tries to be an individual, like guys dressing up as girls, will never be alone. And for the first time since I can remember - I did not see one pair of fairy wings, and if there were any 'real' goths at the festival, they must have been hiding in the mosh pit.

Perhaps its just me getting old. Ten years ago, I was the "individual" wearing the tie-dye slip with doc martins racing to see Grinspoon and Frenzal Romb. I knew all the acts, and wanted to see everyone. I didn't care if I was in someones way, threw myself head strong (a size 8 girl mind you) into the mosh pit, protected only by my best friends farting (noticed by Frenzal Romb themselves). I didn't drink at festivals either, and I believe the only people we had to pass to get into the concert was the ubiquitous scalpers along Art Gallery Road.

Tiger's Tale in the Headlines

A new triple bogey day for Woods as even more lovers ace golf star

A Tiger by his Tale

A Tiger in the Bedroom

A Tiger tale in the bedroom that nobody wanted to talk about

A water hazard and a very bad lie

Absent Tiger, Hidden Future

Claws out for Tiger

Aussie link to Tiger Tale

Birdie Brain

Bogey Man

Cant see Woods for the Sleaze

Chuch of Tiger' Tisbands (i had to insert this one, WTF? who starts a church!!!)

Comics turn TIger to Cheetah

Crouchin' Tiger, Hidden hydrant?

Drink firm drops bunkered Tiger

Eagle-eyed birtdies and just the odd albatross

Eye on the Tiger

Five birdies and still counting

I confess, I played a round

Hiding in his Bunker

Is it any concern of ours if TIger has turned Cheetah?

It looks like they're all now taking a swing at Tiger Woods

Its a birdie streak

Its birdie no. 6 for Tiger

It's now six over par for TIger

I've played a round with Tiger, says waitress

Open season on tue Tiger hunt

Out of the woods

Sex a yawn for prowling Tiger

Sex spikes Tiger drink

Show goes on despite Tiger lying low

Star finds himself in a hole

Swining with Tiger Woods

There's a Tiger in us all

Tiger shows his stripes

Tiger loses his locks

Tiger not our of the woods yet

Tiger left ot lick his wounds

Tiger now fair game

Tiger Woods shortest ever drive

Tiger tales growing

Epiphanies

Have you ever had that moment, where in one minute you suddenly have a spotlight brought out and shone on the deepest crevices in your thoughts?

Today, I wished someone a happy birthday. In return, I was grunted at, and the person said, "Well, thanks. At least someone remembered." Suddenly, life looked a little brighter for me, because I saw that there was the dark side of life (which this person holds to with an iron grip) and a light side to life (which I much prefer).

When people continually look at the bad side of things, the glass half empty mentality, life can never be good. If you keep your mind in a little fishbowl, consider your own thoughts, feelings and events the world, and always expect the worst - life will never improve. You don't see, explore, experience the opportunities that are presented to you, and so they pass you by.

Every bad experience must have a positive out come, whether its a lesson learnt about yourself, someone else, or the world at large. Bad job? At least you know what you don't like, and will avoid it in the future. Bad boyfriend? You learn the signs to steer clear of. Bad boyfriends? Maybe its you, as there is only one common element there. Bad tequila? Well, I learnt that lesson and steer clear at all costs.

My positive experience today, no matter how low I feel, if someone is wishing me a happy birthday, I will gratefully say thank you, and invite them to my birthday drinks. And will avoid micro managers at all cost in the future.

Micro Managing

Micro Manager. One of the worlds most hated terms. Especially if you have a (micro)manager who subscribes to the theory that as long as he is pulling all the strings and can tell people what to do every 5 minutes then he is justifying his position.

If anything, it portrays what a bad manager he is. For the below reasons:

1) Scenario - The (micro)manager answering questions for staff before that are allowed to answer.
How is this good? Not only do you make your staff feel incompetent, the manager is also displaying to the question-ee the fact that the staff member is not competent to answer the question on their own. People learn by working things out for themselves. No matter how many times you tell a teenager drinking alcohol is bad, they will still do it - and from that they will learn that you cant drink a whole bottle of scotch in one sitting. By answering peoples questions, you do not in fact teach people, you take away the oppurtunity for them to learn.

2) Scenario - The (micro)manager bullying other teams for the staff member.
This is unproductive for a number of reason, but the one reason that stands out is that by "standing up" to other teams for the staff member, you make that staff member seem weak, and the other team members lose respect for that person. It portrays that the member either went and tattled to their boss, or that they do not have the guts to stand up to that team, and so will forever more be a push over to that team.

3) Scenario - micro(manager) telling everyone to do work.
And no - that is not a type with the brackets. By telling staff about the work that they know they are meant to be doing (ie theres a lot of newspapers to be read today, you better get to it) is not productive. If anything, it will just infruiate that staff member. The majority of adults can organise their own work day, and know what they are meant to do. Having a manager over their shoulders will not increase production, but only frustration and anger.

I could go on and on about how bad mirco managers are. In the end, they are either unsecure in their role, or do not trust the employees that work for them... and the only person that can change that is them. The problem is that people avoice micro managers like the plague, and they are always the ones who stay the longest, and work their way up the monkey tree.

Melbourne Cup Day

Melbourne Cup Day. The pinnacle beginning of summer antics for offices and companies alike.

If, you are like me and work in a corporate environment, generally there is a few bevvies on, while the race is shown, and then half the office leaves to continue drinking at the pub.

AND here I am, still in the office, half drunk and hardly productive. Do i take the step and just tell my boss, hey Im leaving Im drunk? Or do i sit here for the next hour and pretend to be working.

When did summer in Sydney turn into a free for all of long lunches, parties galore and lots of good time? Its great if you have cash, and a generous boss.

I can tell you where Id rather be instead of pretending to work. Bosses, just give us 3 months paid leave over xmas and we shall love you forever.

No Smoking Please - Part II

It has been about five weeks since I was a regular smoker - or at least smoking at regular events (wednesday night trivia, Friday nights, saturday nights). I have caved a few times in the last few weeks (my sisters wedding, a horrendous Friday afternoon, a stolen smoke on a Wednesday) but have generally been a good lass and stayed away from the dirty butts.

Today is Friday. Joy of the week, knowing that from 6pm tonight I will have 48 hours to do as I please with no commitments that entail the word work.

But it also means I have 48 hours to deny myself the long enjoyed pleasure of relaxing with a beer and a ciggerette. Even the thought of having a beer on the weekend makes me crave one. I'm not sure its actually the nicotine that I crave, but the experience. I know that when I have my next ciggerette I will hate the first one, but the second one wont be so bad, and by the third one I will have lost my taste buds again anyways.

There is nothing worse than temptation. And the only thing that gets rid of temptation is fulfilling it. Am I to be unfulfilled for the rest of my life? When will this annoying craving for a ciggerette go away? I have beat the habit, except for when it requires a drink with friends (who still smoke)... Can you die from temptation?

Cutting the Queue

"We don't want to develop a reputation of having a two-tier immigration system - one tier for legal, law-abiding immigrants who patiently wait to come to the country, and a second tier who seek to come through the back door, typically through the asylum system. We need to do a much better job of shutting the back door of immigration for those who seek to abuse that asylum system."

- Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney read from the same script as the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. -


Australia (and the rest of the world) stood by and watched (ignored) the genocide of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka for about twenty years. A colleague of mine, Tamil born, began to actively protest the war. The genocide of his people. At first, I thought it a bit strange, a war in Sri Lanka? What's he talking about... The war had gone on so long that the media stopped reporting it. Not only because of the length of time (and loss of public interest) but also becuase of the media black out the Sri Lanka government held over the country. The media had nothing to report, and so didn't. The war was ended in the middle of this year... the Sri Lanka government won, apparently killing the Tamil Tigers leader, and keeping the Tamil people in refugee (prison) camps. All those 'stray' bombs that landed on these camps had nothing to do with the governmetn (apparently). With the war ended, so did the media coverage. Until now, when suddenly the great wash decends on our hallowed shores. People seeking a place to live, so that they dont become a number on the list of victims of the Sir Lankan armies tally. And we, the 'chosen' are saying 'NO!'.

Why? What gives us the right - invaders and land takers from the beginning - to say No to these people who are starving, who are living in squalor and filth, with no medical care, no homes, no humanity!

I understand there is a process, you have to apply for citizenship, you have to go on a waiting list. But, a person coming from Britain, with skills, money and experience, is more likely to call Australia home before a person from Sri Lanka, who has no 'skills' or money. Who only has the clothes on their back, and their family, or what is left of it.

Australia and the rest of the world stood by and watched. Now they are seeing the results of the catastrophe affecting their way of life. I think some sort of pennance is due.

Redundancy

Redundancy.


The word brings images of bankers filing out of big office buildings, with suitcase and a box of personal belongings at the end of 2008. The collapse of Lehman Bros. was big news, and many companies fell, or balanced on the wire with one foot, with them. The Global Financial Crises aka GFC was born, with acronym and doom.

Newspapers spouted updates on the demise, documentig the hoards of people put out of work. Everyone read it in the paper, and then knew someone who knew someone that had been laid off. Soon, it was your friend, your family. Closer still your lover or your husband. Sometimes, it was yourself.

The economist blamed bad debt. Blue-collared-workers and out-of-work-ers blamed greed. Some blamed technology. One suspects, it was a combination of all three.

Technology.

It has also been the instigator of another form of redundancy. The printed word. The book. The newspaper. The Trading Post. The Street Directory. Many newspapers have gone out of business in the USA, some also in Australia. The Trading Post, the icon of Australian second hand selling/ buying/ bargain hunting is now online only. The UBD has been sold off. The Book, now available for free downloading, where out of copyright, you buy book readers instead of books, or iPhones, or iTouches...

As a library worker, and long time lover of the written word, the book shall be missed. Instead of getting dog ears, and bent spines, the worst fear of the reader will be an incomplete download, or file corruption. You will no longer lose books, but can just copy for friends or refer them to the original free download page. Reading in the dark after bedtime just became easier for teenagers under their covers, without fear of being caught, or running out of torch battery.
Technology has brought many wonderful, amazing (stupid) ideas to our world and everyday life. The calculator enables us to not have to use our brain, the computer enables us to not have to write. Lights limit house fires. Telephones mean long distance relationships and 24/7 contact with loved ones.

It makes one wonder if in twenty years times someone will watch The Castle and wonder at the hard copy Trading Post the same way we view the telegraph, or the horse-drawn carriages in movies from the early twentieth century. If a person sitting snugly on a couch reading a book will take a few minutes for the audience to work out "Ah, that must be a book, I wonder how they ever got by back then..."

Wanted: A Job to Love

I had a job I loved a year and a half ago.

Corporatisation and politics started to get in the way.

As well as a very annoying bi-polar staff member I had to manage.

So I quit, and went to 'better pastures'.

Unfortunately, it was very much a case of 'Grass is Greener', and a year on I am more miserable in my job then ever.

Is a job meant to be enjoyable?
Technically, a job is work, and work is defined as "exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something". There is nothing there that says we should enjoy it.

Enjoying a job just makes it easier to deal with the fact that you have to be in the same place at the same time 5 days a week. No choice.

Perhaps a job is there to make the good times stand out. Like amazing trips over seas, buying a house or car, and even just a night out on a Saturday.

Since I started feeling like my job was unbearable, I have enjoyed the times I have outside of work more. I treasure Wednesday night trivia. I also drink a lot more. My holiday to Vanuatu was a high light of the year, as well as the weekend away in the Hunter Valley, the weekend away for my birthday, the weddings, the funerals and even the nights in...

So, while I try to block 7.6 hours a day out of my consciousness, and dismiss complete arseholes I work with, I can dream about the good times that the (small amount of) money I make that makes those times worth while.

No Smoking Please

A week into my 500th attempt to quit smoking, and I have learnt three useful facts.

1. Rationality. It doesnt matter how rational you can be through a craving when you are sober, as soon as you reach your 4th or 5th wine, you feel the switch flick in your brain. Suddenly its all you can think about, and you want a cigerette, even if it means you have to beg, borrow or steal. It is completely logical to think that one cigerette will help with the craving and thats all you need. And you torment every smoker you know begging them for cigerettes.

2. Friends. I dont care what anyone says, cigerettes have been a friend to me for about 5 years, and suddenly here I am, ditching it. Cigerettes have seen me through break ups, countless arguements with family and friends, two family funerals, countless weddings, boredom, and excitement... it has been my crutch in socially awkward times, and has always gone well with wine, beer, spirits, coffee and relaxing Sunday afternoons. I have tried dealing with quitting smoking like an ex - totally cutting them out of my life. But unfinished things never play well. So I am easeing myself into it, with a 'rebound' you could say, known as Niccorette 2mg Fruity Flavour Chewing Gum. Best with a beer or a coke to drown out the burning throat taste.

3. Need vs Want. I dont want a cigerette at the moment, but my body is telling me I need one. I can deny my body that... but as soon as I feel like I want one, such as in hard times, stressful times, drunk times... it is very hard to say no. I suppose this is just human desire. I shall percevere... and hopefully say goodbye to smoking forever

7 days in - Taste and smell have improved - Sleep better - feel better - hair and skin wont smell of smoke - levels of carbon monoxide have dropped - oxygen increase - heart rate and blood pressure returned to normal.

Now I just need to get through the week, and another long weekend.