Canberra CityNews July 8-14, 2010 by Canberra CityNews

CityNews July 8-14

cover story

Katy slams the ‘bully-boy’ Liberals A bullying interjecting, back-slapping, boys’ club is how defiant and determined Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher sees the unrelenting personal harassment she gets from the Liberals. But she won’t play the sexist card she tells ELERI HARRIS “THEY haven’t ever taken the pressure off me since 2008. Since the election and the change in portfolios,” says Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, bemoaning the unrelenting personal attacks from the Liberal Opposition. “I can understand their political attack on me, I think they’ve probably seen my performance in a few elections and they can see that I’m relatively popular, I’m in a leadership position, so if they get my neck that’s a big victory for them and I haven’t given them that.” For three days of 13 weeks each year, the 17 members ACT Legislative Assembly sit in the chamber on London Circuit to debate and pass legislation. In 2010 there have been seven sitting weeks and about 21 hours of Question Time, during which 178 questions have been asked of the five ministers. A whopping 75 of those questions were directed towards one person, Treasurer and Health Minister Katy Gallagher. Of those 75 questions, 68 were asked by the Liberal Party and seven by the Greens. The Chief Minister Jon Stanhope was asked only 25 questions in the same period. Minister for Community Services, Women and Children, Joy Burch has only been asked 38 questions. “I think I’m the target in their sights and I

INDEX July 8-15, 2010

Since 1993: Volume 16, Number 27

Arts&Entertainment Crossword Dining Environment Home Horoscope Letters Movie reviews News Politics Property Social Scene Sudoku

13-16 20 16 7 18 20 8 14 3-8 6 21-31 10-11 20

FRONT COVER: Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher. Story this page. Photo by Silas

don’t expect it’s going to change,” says Gallagher. “They’ll go off and they’ll attack Joy again, as they have in the last two days, but I am very much the focus of their assault.” The Liberal Party, led on the front bench by leader Zed Seselja, deputy Brendan Smyth and Jeremy Hanson have received warnings from the Speaker, using their time in the Chamber to heckle Labor while the microphones in front of them are switched off. Speaker Shane Rattenbury says the Government can give as good as it gets in Question Time, but there is more noise from the Liberal Party. “I’ve obviously warned the Opposition more than the Government,” he says. “They’ve got a clear set of tactics to target members of the Government.” Gallagher says the Liberals are bullies and that their tactic of barraging her with questions is hypocritical, given the regular subject matter of workplace bullying, and is at the expense of Government scrutiny they criticise the Greens for neglecting. “I don’t condone what I see as the bullying tactics they employ, “ she says. “Repeating questions, interjecting, that wall of sound every time I get to my feet, the laughing, back slapping that goes on. That’s where I think it is a boys’ club.

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Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher... “When they’re packed together they act like a pack and I’m not sure that’s the way women work.” Photo by Silas “They say that’s your incompetence at your job, ‘everyone knows you’re hopeless and the system’s collapsing’. That kind of constant attack does wear on you and I think it’s got worse. Having been in this place since 2004, I reckon it’s a lot

worse with Zed, Brendan and Jeremy together. “When they’re packed together they act like a pack and I’m not sure that’s the way women work, I think there is a difference. I genuinely do think there’s a difference there. I’m not going to play the sexist card, ‘I’m a girl, I’m upset about that’ and all that rubbish, I’m just not in a position where I can do that. “Question Time for me is often a very frustrating part of the day because it’s certainly not used as a way of eliciting information, it’s used as a way of trying to confirm their political attack. Perhaps that’s not surprising. And I haven’t been in opposition, so it’s hard for me to try and gage Opposition tactics. “As a senior member of the Government, I guess they want to try and reduce my standing in the community. “They use the issue to try and attack the person and the issue becomes something different and, I guess, that is a political tactic of theirs. It’s one that I’m prepared to take on and endure. “Their tactic has made me fit for Question Time like an athlete gets fit for triathlons. “I go in there expecting every question from them and they’re usually pretty predictable as to what they’re about. “They’re definitely reactionary. “They’re usually about the current issue, whatever you open the ‘CityNews’ or the ‘Canberra Times’ and find.” On Tuesday June 29 the Liberal Party attempted a Censure Motion against Gallagher, the first for her in six years at the Legislative Assembly, accusing her of misleading members over elective surgery downgrades. It failed to pass.

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au Political reporter: Eleri Harris, 0414 618493 eleri@citynews.com.au Lifestyle editor: Megan Haggan, 6262 9100 lifestyle@citynews.com.au Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764 helen@citynews.com.au Design and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086 Designer: Joran Dilucian Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au Distribution and circulation: Richard Watson, 6262 9100 circulation@citynews.com.au

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, of Suite 1, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.

CityNews July 8-14

news

Dr Kennedy leaves the cloisters for Ohio WHEN I caught up with Dr Brian Kennedy by phone at his home in New Hampshire last week, he had just returned from Toledo, Ohio, where the day before he had accepted the directorship of the Toledo Museum of Art, one of the most respected city museums in the country. Poised in front of the museum’s crowing glory, Rubens’ “The Crowning of Saint Catherine”, Kennedy spoke enthusiastically of Toledo’s top reputation for engaging with this local community. He was plainly surprised to get a call from far-off Canberra, but lost no time in praising his new place of work, which boasts buildings by Frank Gehry and architectural duo Sanaa. He also praised the National Gallery

Former National Gallery of Australia director Brian Kennedy has a new, museum job in Ohio. HELEN MUSA got him on the phone

of Australia, where he was director from 1997 to 2004, declaring that he had enjoyed “a wonderful time” here and expected to do the same in Ohio. Since 2005, Kennedy has directed Hood Museum, a part of Dartmouth College, prestigious Ivy League college founded in 1769 “for the education and instruction of youth of the Indian tribes in this land” and now a feeder of graduates to Harvard and Yale. It is, in Kennedy’s words, “an extraordinary institution”. But now he is forsaking rural academia in Dartmouth for a down-town city museum, where he

says there will be “quite a different agenda.” Museum watchers in Australia are seeing his move to the Toledo Museum as a canny career change out of academia into the wider world of museums, with a possible eye for the future on a top gallery job in the US. But Kennedy (now known, Americanstyle, as Brian P. [for Patrick] Kennedy) begs to differ in the strongest terms: “I don’t look at the world like that. I don’t agree at all with the idea of a hierarchy of museums.” Nonetheless, it will be a huge change

for him, both in location and career. He speaks lovingly of the sheer beauty of New Hampshire, saying it will be “more humid in Ohio”. His wife Mary and son Eamon will move with him to the Toledo area while their daughter Anne, now into the second year of a tertiary education degree, will take off soon for a semester’s exchange at a university in Queensland. When Kennedy first arrived in Australia, he was in his 30s and known for his fiery, often disarmingly frank comments on the art world here. Now, at 49, he is evidently more cautious and measured, though just as enthusiastic, especially about his new job, which he takes up in early September. “I go where I feel is right for me at the time,” he says.

Parliament, well, rocks!

briefly The Gang’s back

THE 44th annual Canberra Gang Show, “A Guide to Misadventure”, featuring 130 local Scouts and Guides will be performed at the Erindale Theatre, July 10-17. The cast has been rehearsing since March and promises the “best youth theatre productions you will ever see in Canberra”. Tickets at $20 and $15 (concession) can be pre-purchased at www.canberragangshow.com.au or at the door.

Reporter ELERI HARRIS and photographer SILAS BROWN go deep into the bowels of Parliament House IN the bowels of the house on the hill in the belly of the bureaucratic beast beneath the grassy flag-poled Parliament lies, of all things, a heritage-listed rock outcrop. The 2010 Australian Earth Sciences Convention was held in Canberra, with crews of polar fleece and hiking boot-wearing geoscience nerds lining up for the underground tour of the capital building. “CityNews” tagged along and were mighty impressed with what we saw. Underneath Parliament House there are many things, great concrete pillars tagged with permanent marker graffiti, red-painted pipes, stainless-steel stairwells and an “outstanding text book example of an unconformity”. An “unconformity” is where sandstone from two different tec-

CityNews July 8-14

tonic cycles, the Benambran and Tabberabberan, meet at opposite angles. With nine million years between them, the earlier Black Mountain sandstone hit the Camp Hill sandstone when Australia was still part of Gondwana Land, leaving a 400 million-year-old water ripple stamped on the rock. When Parliament House was built, ANU professor David Brown negotiated with the Construction Authority to preserve the unconformity in the basement and it is now heritage listed. But that’s not all, the marbled main foyer has a story to tell, too. Upstairs in the public entrance 340 million-year-old Belgian Black granite, which is actually limestone, loaded with fossilised sea creatures, forms the floor and walls. The cooked limestone Carrara

Brian Kennedy... “I go where I feel is right for me at the time.”

Temple open

THE Lyneham Temple, at 32 Archibald Street, will hold an open day from 9.30am 2.30pm on Saturday, July 17. There will be lectures on Buddhism, socialising with local and visiting monks, nuns and lay Buddhists and the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful garden and serene Temple landscaping. There will be a vegetarian lunch. Admission is free. More information at 0412 224553.

Plaza’s new-look store

RIVERSIDE Plaza’s new-look Coles supermarket has been opened by the Federal member for Eden-Monaro, Dr Mike Kelly and State member for Monaro, Steven Whan. The relaunch brings 40 new jobs to the region increasing the Coles team to 140. Works underway at the centre also include a new travelator and changes to customer amenities. Eureka! The heritage-listed rock outcrop under Parliament House. columns, meant to look like gumtrees, are irreplaceable. They came from a dangerous quarry and required international Governmental negotiations to purchase. That part of the quarry has since collapsed and there is no more of the same. The white

floor is made from the same marble as Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. Similarly, the front pillars of Parliament are made from one, single slab, a whole marble face taken off a quarry in Italy. Parliament rocks.

Green markets

A $130 million makeover of the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets will create Australia’s first six-star green-star community and be a “benchmark in sustainable design that points the way to a cleaner, more sustainable future for Canberra” according to Environment Minister Simon Corbell. “This is an important precedent that other company owners and developers can follow and make their buildings cleaner and more environmentally sustainable.”

CityNews July 8-14

politics

Mining the politics of greed By Michael Moore GREED or good? Is our country being run for the general good or is the Government there to provide a better bottom line for big international companies? The rapidly changing world of politics over the last few weeks certainly ought to have thinking people wondering. The success of the blatant, barefaced attack on the Australian Government by international mining companies provides a blueprint for future campaigns. Who is next? There are international companies that play a major part in supplying our food, providing our transport or delivering IT. They now know what to do when a decision is taken that they do not like. Who will be next to take on a government that makes a decision they do not like? The lesson is clear. There were no niceties: Big international mining did not want to pay their fare share of community taxes out of the “super” profits the industry makes. In common terms, it is known as greed. The campaign and final compromise with the new Prime Minister has saved about $1.5 billion from their tax bill. No wonder they

were happy to be more than profligate in their spending on advertising campaigns and other techniques to influence government! The Minerals Council of Australia came out punching when the tax was announced. It understood that the best fabrications are based on some truth enhanced by exaggeration, fear and uncertainty. It used threats of doom and gloom for the mining industry and had international CEOs claiming intention to withdraw from Australia. All this

helped create an atmosphere of fear and doubt amongst ordinary people. Confidence in the Government under this barrage was weakened. Perhaps the council borrowed much of its tactics from the union movement. The campaign against John Howard and “Work Choices” provided an excellent precursor for the sort of modus operandi that was employed by the industry. A simple concept was lost thanks to the hyperbole of the industry perspective and its media satura-

tion. The resources that are being extracted are not “owned” by international mining companies. The minerals in the ground are the property of Australians who allow big mining companies to use expertise, resources, skills and knowledge to extract them, thereby making a fair profit. As I have argued previously, like all of us, they should also pay a fair share of taxes. The win for the mining companies is a loss for the rest of industry. Instead of a two per cent cut in the company tax to encourage industry, increase employment and to build productivity, the reduction will be limited to just one per cent . The new Prime Minister had to find a compromise with the mining companies. Labor caucus realised that Kevin Rudd no longer had the political capital and any attempt at compromise would have been likened to the back down on the Emissions Trading Scheme. Julie Gillard had to find a way and she has managed to do so. However, with such a successful campaign, it is hard to see why a similar crusade will not threaten her leadership when the time comes – if she leads Labor to a victory at the upcoming election. Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government.

The teens’ texting tsunami TOP mobile texters send monthly averages of 6000 messages, according to a recent study by Boost Mobile, a leading provider to the teen pre-paid mobile market. Text messages sent by customers aged between 14 and 18 years old have increased by 89 per cent in the last two years, the study found.

CityNews July 8-14

The jump has to do with the sharply increasing number of teenagers who have access to a mobile phone. Seventy-five per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds and 90 per cent of 15 to 17-year-olds own mobile phones, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Property

By Catherine Carter

Cost crush of the land rush I SOMETIMES reflect on being lucky enough to already have a house in the ACT and feel intense sympathy for those who are still facing the growing challenges involved in getting one for themselves. Whether you crave a traditional suburban block or a city apartment, you’ll be facing a higher bill than I did – higher than that faced by many of the people who make decisions on housing. The hot news at the moment seems to be about recent land releases and their prices – too high, say some, for the average family to afford. The debate has highlighted a single, salient point: Homes in the ACT are expensive and getting more so If you need more than $300,000 just to buy the land, we still have a housing affordability crisis! It is largely a matter of supply and demand, and if housing is expensive to buy, it will also be expensive to rent. The Territory can’t function if the only people who can afford to live here are highly-paid senior public servants. We need teachers, nurses, fire fighters, police, garbage collectors, cleaners and shop assistants. We need our young people, our students, our pensioners. So we need to do something about housing affordability. The ACT Government is working to release more land (thus easing the supply shortfall), but we still need better co-ordination to control other upfront housing costs, such as the planning and provision of infrastructure. And we need a range of housing choices, incorporating diversity of type, location and price. The private sector can provide affordable houses quickly if the land is there and the policy settings are right. Given the right circumstances, the private sector would compete for buyers, and that is the sort of competition which pays off for potential home owners. Catherine Carter is the executive director of the ACT Property Council.

environment

Country stars in tune for National Tree day By Tanya Davies AUSTRALIAN country music stars Lee and Tania Kernaghan as well as The McClymonts are reminding locals to sign up to Planet Ark’s National Tree Day on Sunday, August 1 and Schools Tree Day on Friday, July 30. Along with these National Tree Day veterans, newcomer Luke Austen, 2010 Toyota Star Maker winner, will also pull on the gloves to help out this year. Knowing only too well the challenges facing our environment, seeing it first-hand as they tour the nation, our Australian country music stars have been strong supporters of National Tree Day since its inception. “National Tree Day is an inspiring program to be a part of. From the outback, to small country towns, our regional centres and major cities, it’s an opportunity for all of us to get involved, plant a seedling and look after our environment,” said Lee Kernaghan. Planet Ark was delighted to have this continued support, said spokeswoman Rebecca Gilling. “Lee and Tania Kernaghan, The McClymonts and most recently Luke Austen have been involved in National Tree Day for more than 15 years and having travelled their fair share of regional and rural Australia they are aware of the importance of looking after our environment,” she said.

Lee Kernaghan... “get involved, plant a seedling and look after our environment.” As Australia’s biggest community tree-planting event, National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day are responsible for the planting of more than 15 million native trees and shrubs by approximately two million volunteers over the years. Getting involved is easy. The Friends of Mt Majura Park Care will hold a tree and shrub planting day on August 1 at the Majura Paddocks in Hackett, while Greening Australia will be revegetating in the Cotter catchment. For information go to treeday.planetark.org

CityNews July 8-14

letters

Waiting for the lights WHAT is it with the ACT Government with all these roadworks, while we still don’t have intelligent traffic lights that can detect that they should have changed three bloody hours ago? The annoying roadworks could be improved somewhat if inconsiderate road workers (which is tautology, I know) took the 40km signs down at night and on the weekend etc, when they are completely unnecessary. Dammit, it’s dangerous too, as some drivers are doing 40 while everyone else is doing a sensible 80, including bus drivers on Belconnen Way past the GDE version 76.9 roadworks. Considering the vast amounts of ill-gotten gains the Government reaps in from over-priced parking and devious, revenue-raising speed traps (he writes from personal experience! Eight points he’s up to, and he’s only exceeded the speed limit about three times in the last three years), plus the money it doesn’t spend on bus scheduling, why can’t we have lights that change faster than a bureaucrat’s lazy Friday afternoon? Or has the Government wasted so much money on the GDE, because it stuffed it up the first time? Will they get it right this time? I doubt it, as they couldn’t organise a road system in a one-horse town. The horse would probably die of starvation waiting for the lights to change!

John Cleland, Latham

Not what she seems A FEW weeks back Federal Labor was accused of using cue cards with its MPs churning through rapidly shifting messages. More recently, Julia Gillard appears to have made an art form of being the careerist Lindsay Tanner accused her of. Now her cynicism on asylum seekers, and migrants and harking back to “protecting the Australian way” and training “of our own people” would make Arthur Calwell proud (and, I would add, almost more Hanson than Pauline Hanson herself).

CityNews July 8-14

dose of dorin

illicit drug ingestion would have an equivalent alcohol intoxication of 0.1gms/100mls – double the allowed driving limit !

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Here’s to Steve

Given Julia’s junking of emissions trading with no regret, it seems more than bizarre that the return of potential Greens voters are buoying her standing. How long will it be before people work out Julia is not what she might appear, but merely saying what you want to hear?

M. Gordon, Flynn

John not at risk A READER’S assertion (CN, July 1) that MLA John Hargreaves’ dressing up as an Arab “could face mutilation if he visits some Middle Eastern countries” is grossly unfair and misleading as there would be no reason for any insult caused to any Arab. Mr Hargreaves was presented with a koftan at a public Iftar gathering to honour his tireless work for the Muslim community and his open policy on inclusion of all. A number of ambassadors of Arab countries were present, who all applauded when Mr Hargreaves, with pride, wore the koftan as an honorary Arab. The reader should chill out and instead acknowledge Mr Hargreaves’ engagement with the Arab and Muslim community. I have had the privilege of serving as the chair of the ACT Muslim Advisory Council under Mr Hargreaves as the responsible Min-

ister and only have praise for his tireless efforts.

Ikebal Patel chair, ACT Muslim Advisory Council

Raspberry for Bill I THINK Mr Stephens sounds like a pretentious snob – “Jazz Garters” (review, CN, June 24) was good fun and all that it promised; lighthearted enjoyment in the traditional vaudeville style, which Mr Stephens may or may not know WAS usually unrelated acts! So raspberry in his general direction!

Losang Zopa, via email

Drug driving A FEW are arguing that the recent drug-driving Bill, which passed through the Assembly, should have had prescribed levels of driving impairment for illicit drugs – such as cannabis and amphetamines – similar to alcohol. None of the seven Australian police and health jurisdictions I approached would tell me, let alone put in writing, that driving between the alcohol range of .01mgs/100mls and .05mgs/100mls could be declared safe – even though it is the legal range. One police authority told me that research in his State and the US had shown that a person declared an impaired driver from

FOLLOWING up on the idea of giving out the names of tradesmen whom readers recommend, I am currently employing “Steve the Painter” (also known as Steve Knezevic, of Steve’s Painting Pty Ltd of Kambah) to paint the exterior of my house. I still have the documents to show that Steve painted the exterior of the house in December 1985 and again in April 1994. It might be a long time between drinks, but the pleasant, reliable and professional Steve has hardly changed in those 25 years, and still doing a good job. What better recommendation than that?

John Milne, Chapman

Back down MY letter “Resource rent tax better than a super-profits scheme” (CT, June 11) has come to fruition despite the many attacks I received for promoting a review of the scheme put forward, with minimal consultation, by the Rudd Government. There were many problems with the RSPT as it stood and if the industry had been consulted properly beforehand we would not have had this rather ignominious “back-down” by the ALP. “Consultation” by the Wayne Swans and Lindsay Tanners of this world was no different to that of our own Chief Minister, and surely there are lessons to be learnt here. All the problems could have been solved if the mining industry had been involved in proper consultation ahead of the introduction of a RRT and I feel that, Wayne Swan, a remaining “gang of four” member, who was so adamant in his refusal to negotiate changes to the parameters of the RSPT, should also return to the back bench.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Footy from outer space MARK PARTON, breakfast announcer at 2CC, discovers the selfish joys of nighttime AM radio I LOVE AFL football. I’m a dedicated West Coast Eagles supporter, but I do find it hard to get TV and radio broadcasts of my team here in Canberra. Many of the home games come through from 4.40pm our time, so they are very rarely broadcast on TV here. Radio coverage is also scant, particularly for the home games. I tend to listen to the games online through the AFL website when I’m home, but if I’m not, I just have to miss out... well, until recently. No I haven’t bitten the bullet and subscribed to Foxtel. I’ve just woken up to the power of AM radio, especially at night time. 3LO is the Melbourne-based ABC station. I think they just call themselves ABC774 these days. I tend to listen to most of the West Coast games through ABC774 radio, booming out of Melbourne all the way into Canberra. The catch is, I have to wait for the sun to set. Before nightfall, it’s virtually impossible to hear the signal, but that all changes after the sun as set. As it gets darker, the 774 signal gets stronger and stronger to the point that it eventually sounds like a local station. I’ve tried to get scientifically minded people to explain how it is that AM radio signals can extend so far at night time. I’m told that this extended transmission is possible because of the ionosphere – one of the layers of the atmosphere. It is called the ionosphere because when the sun’s rays hit this layer, many of the atoms there lose electrons and turn into ions. Without interference from the sun, the 774 signal bounces off the ionosphere, back to the ground, back to the ionosphere and so on, until it gets here. I’ve tuned into 774 from as far away as Newcastle. It’s amazing! Actually, I can still recall as a wide-eyed teenage radio enthusiast, tuning into 3MP Melbourne from all the way in country WA where I was growing up. The signal got through clearly after midnight when the regional stations had “shut down”. I can also remember driving across the Nullarbor Plain, where out by the Great Australian Bight at night time and early in the morning you can pick up virtually every AM radio station in the country. And I can remember in the days I was doing the midnight-to-dawn shift on Adelaide’s talk radio 5AA. I wondered aloud where our most distant listener was. We got a call from the workers at Casey Base in Antarctica. Gotta be happy with the power of radio.

Creative by Design

advertising feature

Bringing out your inner-wardrobe! AS we grow and mature our wardrobes need to change with us, says Rosana McLeod, co-owner of Creative by Design in Canberra. Over the years many of us accumulate piles of clothes that we’re never going to wear again, she says – and they’re not only badly organised, making it harder to find the items we do wear, they take up a lot of room which could be much better utilised. “Over the years our personalities change – we’re not going to wear the same things we did 10 years ago, and those clothes are out of fashion anyway,” she says. “We grow, and we mature – and our wardrobe needs to reflect the individual we are today, not 10 years ago. As we get older and more organised, so should our wardrobes!” One of the biggest life changes is a new addition to the family, Rosana says. It’s a time which many new parents can find stressful, with a lot of new things to learn – and a cluttered house doesn’t help. New mums should consider that some of their pre-baby

One of Creative by Design’s mobile showrooms... “We’re the only company that lets you play with solutions at your own home,” says Rosana McLeod. clothes just won’t be worn again, she says. “You’re a different shape! Really, we put too much pressure on ourselves to fit back into our old clothes after a baby.” Little clothes are easy to lose track of, says Rosana, who used practical systems to keep her children’s rooms organised. “Most of us fold baby clothes, but the problem is that if they’re out of sight in a drawer, we can forget they’re there – and little babies grow so fast that they may wear items of clothing only once as a result,” she says. “When my daughter was little, we used a triple row of hangers so that we could see all her little suits hanging up, and nothing got lost. “In drawers, we had everything in clear perspex compartments, with her swimming goggles and cap in one, for example, and her hats in another. We didn’t have to spend a lot of time hunting for things!” In her own wardrobe, Rosana has installed a lighting system which is not only attractive, but allows her

to easily see her organised sections: all the gym gear is kept together, for example, separate from her weekend wear. Our wardrobes should suit our own individual needs, says Rosana, which is why Creative by Design’s mobile showrooms allow clients to look at alternatives. “We’re the only company with mobile showrooms that let you play with solutions at your own home.”

Things to throw away • Anything you like in theory, but never actually wear. • Anything with a stain that’s never going to come out. • Most of those old clothes used for gardening – there will always be more! • Any shoes left unworn for so long that the toes turn up. • Anything that you think may be fashionable again in the future – they never quite look in fashion again. • Exhausted lingerie: anything with holes or stretched elastic. • Anything two sizes too small which is kept in the hope of fitting into it again. • The golden rule is: every time you buy something new, throw out something old! CityNews July 8-14

scene

At Independence Day celebrations, US Embassy

Sheree Kahlefeldt and Carley Simpson

Des Lacey, Leanne Close and Greg Harrigan

Raydon and Alison Gates, Linda Hurley, Col. Gavin Ketchen and wife Debbie with Lt-Gen David Hurley

Catherine Filhol, Rene Gonzales and Christine Dixon

10â&#x20AC;&#x192; CityNewsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; July 8-14

Greek ambassador Alexios Christopoulos, Cypriot high commissioner Yannis Iacovou and wife Maria with Maltese high commissioner Francis Tabone

Landscape gardners Jason Hall, Brett Vey and Edgar Daly

Judy Moon and Ann Jakle

More photos at www.citynews.com.au

At the Cooleman Court Beauty Centre cocktails

Teresa and Joe Teixeira with Angie Bennett

Lynne Millynn, Robbie Potts, Kylie Bathelson and Brigid Mulligan

Mary Haasjes, Ellena Morriss, Daniella Saklamaev, Grace Szabo, Jean Peasson, Lacey Payne, Anna Ruskan and April Chapman

Michelle Morgan, Susan McMaster, Romaine Lynch and Debbie Reid

At Hair by Simona’s new salon, Torrens

Simona Osolnik, Kelly Grande, Sonja Hammond and Hoa Luu

Assunta Tammaro, Stefka Seckar, Sue Kennedy and Josie Kostrica

Snez Vujic and Sophie Barnes

CityNews July 8-14 11

12 CityNews July 8-14

all about living

Hip hop champs need a hand

Jumping for joy... hip hop champs Bliss.

Photo by Silas

By Shereen Charles CANBERRA’S all-girl hip-hop crew Bliss is dancing against the clock to raise the $10,000 it needs to get to Las Vegas for the World Hip Hop Competition at the end of this month. Just a few weeks ago, Bliss won third place in the Hip Hop International Dance competition in Sydney and will now represent Australia in the world titles in Las Vegas on July 28-29. Bliss was formed in January by chance. After dancing with many different dance crews, Bianca Gomez, Natalie Clarke, Amy Sang, Kimberlee Garcia, Thea Kabadanis and Sharee Gstrein decided to come together and dance in Bianca’s basement to see how they’d work as a crew. “We all share the same passion, and we were all friends initially and it just came along with everything. We dance for the love of it and not because we want to compete,” said Amy Sang. In a bid to raise the money to cover their accommodation and flights to Las Vegas, they have spent their weekends running sausage sizzles. “People have been extremely supportive, especially when they hear that we don’t come from a dance school. We’re completely on our own. The support that we’ve received has been amazing,” said Amy. “We’re not just representing Canberra anymore, we’re representing Australia,” said Bianca. Any business or individual who wants to make a contribution to Bliss can contact Kimberlee Garcia at 0414 878055.

Rhythm of life is a powerful thing By arts editor Helen Musa “THE Samurai of the Drum” is a catchy title for a show, but make no mistake, these are samurai with a difference. For Drum-Tao, Japan’s elite company of martial arts drummers, will be hell-bent on sheer entertainment when it performs in the Canberra Theatre on July 13. Talking Wadaiko drums is what lead drummer of the 13-strong troupe, Taro Harasaki, likes best. He studied English at a foreign-language University in Osaka and during a study visit to Montréal, but joined Drum-Tao at the end of 2004. “It’s a young company,” Harasaki boasts, “the youngest drummer is 18 years old and the oldest is 38.

“There are more than 50 drums in the show. The biggest skin is 2m in diameter and weighs over 400kg – it’s massive… and it’s made from just one piece of wood, 300 to 400 years old… it is so beautiful.” By contrast, the smallest drum cover is 30cm in diameter, but it still weighs 30kg. This is not just a drum show – there are a Japanese bamboo flute, the three-stringed musical instrument the shamisen, as well as marimba, cymbals and gongs which are definitely not Japanese. “Although we have done the perfect Japanese Taiko training, we bring a lot of new instruments from all over the world,” Harasaki says. “It’s totally different to classical drumming… there are lots of professional drumming groups in Japan,

but ours is total entertainment and at the end of the show, everyone gets up and dances.” The brainchild of Ikuo Fujitaka, now president of Drum-Tao, the company is now located in its home-base “Grandioso” in the middle of the AsoKuju National Park on 40,000sqm of land, with an open-air arena that holds up to 3000 people. Fujitaka, with an unlikely background in rock music, had been looking for something different, Harasaki says, but while the group was formed in 1993, it didn’t make its international debut until 2004 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A problem to confront was that local people in Japan, used to free drumming at festivals, just didn’t want to pay, but with the addition of modern spectacle and choreography, audiences

Drum-Tao... Total entertainment and at the end of the show, everyone gets up and dances. can now think Broadway and Las Vegas rather than Japanese classical drumming.

CityNews July 8-14 13

arts&entertainment

A dog by any other name “Marmaduke” (G)

No stars

“WAS it awful?” the cinema employee asked. “It wasn’t good enough to be awful,” was my only possible answer. I wonder how my friend and cinema colleague Hector Kinloch, of cherished memory, who always got warm fuzzies about films with dogs, however unremarkable in other ways, would have reacted to this ill-fashioned film about talking dogs. It’s not the first of its kind but I think Hector might have thought it overdid things. Marmaduke is a lolloppy Great Dane whose career began with transient reader involvement as a cartoon strip in print media. Director Tom Dey thrusts him into the more demanding and enduring world of the moving image via a screenplay crammed with low-intelligence dramatic situations and clichés born of low-budget network TV and letting him run riot. The change of medium was a bad choice. If network TV delights you, my evaluation of “Marmaduke” will make no difference. If network TV is not to your taste, I hope I’ve told you enough to make further detail unnecessary. At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

“Exit Through the Gift Shop” (M) THIS documentary, following a French guy who spent a decade videoing everything he saw, storing the tapes without looking at the images and raising a family,

14 CityNews July 8-14

CINEMA

“Farewell” (M)

WHEN Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev banned writer/director Christian Carion from filming exteriors contradicts many of the conventions of its for “Farewell” in Moscow, Carion had to or any other genre. pretend to be shooting a Coca-Cola ad Is it a quirky, off line, eccentric, selfto get the authenticity necessary for this focused, film, hard to justify and harder account of an espionage operation that to watch? It’s all those things. And more. contributed significantly to the collapse They make it great fun. of the USSR. France declared Avdeev Street art, such as reclusive artist Banksy persona non grata in 1983 after “Operation posted on major buildings in major cities, Farewell” identified him as a Soviet spy. made from flimsy media designed not to If “Farewell’s” operation was a novel, endure weather, challenged conformity. you’d perhaps have said, it’s too good to be Under the pseudonym Mr Brainwash, true. Soviet intelligence officer Sergei (Emir Thierry Guette’s Los Angeles exhibition Kusturica) joined rather reluctant French of deconstructive art, Andy Warhol on engineer Pierre (Guillaume Canet) to steroids, capriciously-priced permanent move secret Soviet documents to France. art for rich folk and other celebrities to This generates a shiver of apprehension, hang on their walls, turned Thierry into an Carion’s film giving it shape and voice overnight star. The film shows how he did using low-key, high-powered tension. it, who he met on the way and what it did Wheels within wheels in the secret to him. Banksy, who directed it, says it’s world. Lies upon lies in government not something he’ll sign up to do again. agencies. Amateurish tradecraft that the As “Exit Through the Gift Shop” KBG had no notion was going on. The progressed, so exponentially did my enjoy- film builds a tower of validity embracing ment of it. It wasn’t just nostalgia harking Sergei’s wife, son and mistress, together back to the 1970s when I spent much time with Pierre’s family and high-placed French at exhibitions here and in Sydney in the and US counter-espionage operatives, company of a mature-age art student moving inexorably toward a courageous seeing iconoclastic images that found man’s payment of a high price and a artistic discipline in being undisciplined. startling revelation deep in the bowels of a The film and the art it depicts are funny CIA operation. and rewarding. There aren’t too many Good stuff, top-quality film-making, its docos like that around. impact intensified by confident verity. At Dendy At Dendy

By Dougal Macdonald

Sigrid Thornton (as Désirée Armfeldt) and Anthony Warlow (as Fredrik Egerman). Photo by Branco Gaica

Send in the adjectives THIS new production of the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical “A Little Night Music” is a deliriously sensuous affair. Designer Roger Kirk’s ravishing costumes and attractive fluid setting provides the perfect environment for the giddy swirl of romantic liaisons which drive this wickedly sophisticated show. The direction of Stuart Maunder is almost balletic as he manoeuvres his cast through a series of delightful set pieces, beautiful to watch and glorious to listen to. Sigrid Thornton, in her first musical, is superb as Desiree Armfeldt. Hoydenish, funny, but always gorgeous, her beautifully restrained performance of the song “Send in the Clowns” rightly drew prolonged enthusiastic applause. With his fine voice and

MUSIC

“A Little Night Music” Opera Australia Sydney Opera House, until July 15 Reviewed by Bill Stephens handsome presence, Anthony Warlow is practically perfect in the role of Desiree’s ex-lover, Fredrik Egerman, somehow managing to appear ridiculous and dignified at the same time. He is well-matched by Ben Lewis, his rival for Desiree’s affections, as the pompous Count Carl-Magnus. Both Lucy Maunder and Katrina Retallick are beautifully cast in roles which showcase their considerable individual talents. Stand-out performances from Matthew Robinson as the desperately lovelorn Henrik and Kate Maree Houlihan as the maid Petra all add patina to this superbly realised production.

arts&entertainment

Double trouble at Red Hill ARTS IN THE CITY

By Helen Musa

IT’S two for the price of one with Phoenix Players’ “Disney Double” at Tim Murray Theatre, Canberra Grammar School, Red Hill, until July 17. A cast all under the age of 18 who’ve been in Phoenix Players’ emerging artists program, will perform a mixture of “Cinderella” and “The Aristocats.” With a wicked stepmother, ugly stepsisters, an independent-minded tomcat and lots of songs including “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” the show is staged by two directors and two choreographers. Bookings through Canberra Rep box office 6257 1950.

centre. The “tree” comprises a twisted stack of books, featuring lines of poetry by Dame Mary Gilmore on a base carved out of local stone. One local resident was heard to remark: “I don’t go much on sculpture, but I like this.”

The NZ Youth Choir, awarded the title “Choir of the World” at the International Eisteddfod in Wales in 1999, presents a concert in the Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, at 7.30pm on July 13. The choristers are aged Phoenix Players’ Georgia Croker as Marie, Henry Paul as Berlioz, 18-25 and the artistic director Tim Magarry as Edgar, Ruby Schofield as Duchess and Daniel is Dr Karen Grylls, from the Steer as Toulouse. University of Auckland. The chief executive of the choir, of trombone/electronica into a CHIEF Minister Jon Stanhope Barbara George, is former science-fiction thriller. Bookings has unveiled a new 2.3m bronze general manager of the 6173 3300. sculpture, “Tree of Knowledge” Canberra Symphony Orchestra. by Canberra sculptor Peter Tickets: Wesley Music Centre SCIENCE-theatre ensemble SHOWN as a dry-run on July 8 Latona, in Garran shopping 6232 7248. Boho, formed in 2006, presents at The Street, “The Last Man to a new interactive performance, Die” is an interactive perform“True Logic of the Future”, at ance experiment allowing Belconnen Arts Centre from you to step into the distant July 13-18 before touring to future and look backwards in Sydney in August for a season time. Created by another local at the Powerhouse Museum for cross-artform group, the work National Science Week. Based features performer Hanna on the ideas of 19th century Cormick, artist Benjamin polymath and cloud-maker Forster, percussionist Charles William Stanley Jevons, it blends Martin and writer Peter Butz. of narrative theatre, interactive It will see full production later sequences and a live soundtrack in the year.

Grants target admin roles

By Helen Musa A NEW partnership between the National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers Limited has seen the announcement of a five-year, $1.2 million initiative to boost the number of indigenous Australians in managerial professional roles in the visual arts. Announcing the initiative at the National Press Club, NGA director Ron Radford deplored that fact that there were only 16 indigenous Australians in management positions within Australia’s leading State and national art museums. “While indigenous Australians play a prominent role in the creation of visual art, they are not similarly represented in the management of visual arts,” he said. He said he looked forward to the day when there would be an indigenous director at the NGA – though, he thought, not just yet. Later, he remembered that there had already been an indigenous director of the National Museum in Dawn Casey. The announcement followed an Australia-wide consultation with indigenous and arts communities by former senator Aden Ridgeway, of Cox Inall Ridgeway. The research has resulted in two programs: the Wesfarmers Arts Indigenous Fellowships, a professional development opportunity for two indigenous fellows to work on a project of their choice over a two-year period. The fellows will work with gallery staff and be mentored by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art department with $50,000 each; and the Indigenous Arts Leadership program, an entry-level visual arts leadership program for up to 10 indigenous Australians, developed and presented in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre. This is to be an annual program based at the NGA incorporating a Certificate 2 in Leadership. Applications for both programs are now open for all indigenous Australians, at www.nga.gov.au/wesfarmersfellowship CityNews July 8-14 15

arts&entertainment

Flavours keep on coming DINING

By Wendy Johnson FLAVOURS of India have opened its third location in Woden Plaza on Corinna Street and is already drawing in locals and those who work in the area. Like the restaurant’s other two locations (Civic and Gunghalin), the Woden Flavours of India has a refreshingly different decor – modern, clean and featuring beautiful rich and vibrant feature walls that reflect the wonderful colours and complex tastes of this amazing cuisine. The Woden location is large (it’s on the corner where the bottle shop used to be) and, with massive windows on two sides, it has a lovely spacious feeling to it. I was told recently by a restaurant owner who had completed extensive research on the fastest-growing cuisines in Canberra, that the top two are Thai and Indian. So it is no surprise that Flavours of India has branched out again. Flavours of India is inspired by northern Indian cuisine and has repeated the successful formula that works in its other locations. Traditional and non-traditional dishes include food cooked in tandoor ovens, the always-reliable butter chicken – simmered slowly in a rich tomato and cream gravy – vindaloo for those who like it hot, hot, hot, and an extensive range of vegetarian specialties (including a five-lentil dish). The evening began with tasty Tandoori lamb cutlets, cooked overnight with ginger, garlic and garam masala ($10.50). They packed a punch in flavour, but were not as

Flavours of India in Woden... inspired by northern Indian cuisine. tender as I have had many times previously in other Indian restaurants. I did love the tiny dishes of mint sauce and tamarind sauce that came with the lamb. Our first main was the Murgh tikka masala ($16.90), barbecued chicken pieces tossed with diced onions, tomatoes and cooked in a thick gravy – excellent to soak our naan bread in. This is a great dish for those who are not sure about their ability to take stronger, more powerful spices. When visiting Flavours of India, take a serious look at the house specialties. If seafood is a favourite, you will not go wrong with the Malai prawns, with cashews and coconut cream ($19), a delightful combination. It was hard to decide from the list of

Photo by Silas

specialties. If we’d had room we would have ordered the lamb chilli fry from the list ($16.90). The Kachumber accompaniment ($4.50), an Indian salad with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice and more of those exotic spices was refreshing, but I found the ingredients too chunky – especially the onion. A more refined approach would certainly be my choice. The wine list at Flavours of India is decent and corkage is only $6 a bottle. The service is efficient and friendly with staff always willing to recommend dishes. Flavours of India, Shop G90, Woden Plaza, Corinna Street, Phillip. 6260 5441. Open seven days for lunch and dinner.

Old friends in a new company By Helen Musa AARNE Neeme is well-known in Canberra, but he hasn’t directed a show here since 2005 when he staged “Sly Fox” at Canberra Rep. Now, almost by chance, he’s directing David Hare’s Olivier Award-winning play “Skylight” for a new company that will launch itself at the Courtyard Studio this month. The company, Gypsy Entertainment, is a first for longtime stage manager Michael

16 CityNews July 8-14

Godbee, now entering the entrepreneurial game with a cast of top professional actors and the aim of creating work for actors and technicians. The hope is that entrepreneurs such as Christine Dunstan will attend the out-of-town run in Canberra and pick it up for a touring production. After the first director Lyn Wright pulled out unexpectedly, Godbee called his old friend Neeme who, by coincidence, had seen the 1995

London production starring Michael Gambon and so much had he liked the piece that he bought a copy. Neeme, who’s worked in the theatre since age 17, has switched in recent years from the stage to directing TV series such as “Blue Heelers”, “Neighbours” and his favourite, “MDA”. That switch partly explains why he likes “Skylight” so much. “The story is minimal,” he explains, “it’s not plot-driven… it’s a close look at personal relationships.” Very simply, Tom, a restaurateur from working-class origins, played by former Royal Shakespeare Company actor Mark Sheridan, unexpectedly drops in on his former lover Kyra, now a schoolteacher in a disadvantaged suburb, on the same night as his disaffected son Edward, played by star newcomer Lincoln Hall, who has just been shortlisted for the musical “Rock of Ages” coming up next year. According to Neeme, the elephant in the room is Tom’s former wife, who died of cancer while they were having a relationship. Now the question arises, does love

Mark Sheridan, as Tom, and Jacqueline Richardson, as Kyra, in “Skylight”. deserve a second chance? It’s easy to see how this situation appeals to the TVdirector side of Neeme, who is fascinated by “the whole notion of a movie moving camera as opposed to a static audience… it’s like playing three-dimensional chess.” To Neeme this is undoubtedly one of David Hare’s best plays. “Somehow he weds the personal and the political,” he says and he’s not talking about party politics, but about human politics. To him, it is “beautifully supple and intuitive… with the quality of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’.” “Skylight”, Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, July 14-24. Bookings to 6275 2700.

Orchid Essence

advertising feature

New Essence of massage relaxation RESTAURANTS and massage might not seem like a perfect fit at first glance, but according to Natesai Chaiyabarn, owner of Orchid Essence in Braddon, both are all about customer service and helping people relax. “I’ve always enjoyed massage, and as my mother has a background in Thai massage – she’s from Chiang Rai, in Thailand – it’s a good next step,” says Natesai. Natesai’s family also operates the Chiang Rai restaurants in Emu Bank, Belconnen and Gungahlin. She says that our busy lifestyles often make it hard for us to take time out for ourselves and relax. Orchid Essence offers a range of different massage styles, from gentle to more intense. “Our Swedish massage is very light, and good for people who have never tried massage before,” Natesai says. Other massage styles, such as deep-tissue massage, concentrate on different parts of the body; and there’s an aromatic oil massage which is ideal for relaxation. “The Thai style is a very strong massage,” she adds. “It’s mainly for people

The team from Orhid Essence. who go to the gym a lot or play sport – very suitable for athletes.” Massage has many benefits, Natesai says. “Personally, I’ve suffered from a lot of headache pain and migraine in the past, a lot of which has been due to stress. I find that massage really helps

A range of massage styles are available. with that, and a lot of people are the same,” she says. Massage can also improve the circulation and thus the skin tone, improve relaxation and stress relief, and relieve pain and discomfort from tight, contracted muscles. Orchid Essence offers a range of

massage styles and facials as well as a sauna and spa. There are private massage rooms as well as rooms for couples, which Natesai says are ideal for those celebrating Valentine’s Day or other holidays and anniversaries, or for pampering before big events such as weddings.

The new business is offering an introductory rate of 30 per cent off for newcomers until the end of July. Hours are from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. “People want to relax outside of working hours – just like when they go to a restaurant!” says Natesai.

CityNews July 8-14 17

home

Cooking with colour

Ellen G. Cooking Lady apron, $24.95 from Lark.

THE kitchen is one of the places in the home that most allows us to express our individuality, says Celia Quattrociocchi, product and marketing manager at Designcraft Furniture, in Hume. “Colour can affect us emotionally – it’s very subjective,” Celia says. “In the home, it can lift our mood, or it can take away the sterile edge that’s part of a lot of modern kitchens.” Brightly coloured accessories and appliances are a great way to express ourselves when choosing homewares, she says – “and expressing our personalities is something we already do in the kitchen, through cooking.”

Icecream bowls, $9.99 for set of four, from Homeart.

F!nk Water Jug, $300 from Designcraft Furniture, Hume.

Breville Electronic Kitchen Scale, $69.95.

Dexas Salad Hands in orange, $17.99. Loop felt tablemats, $16.95, from Annabel Trends.

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advertising feature

all about home decorating

There’s no place like... At this time of year, we’re inclined to spend more time than usual indoors – so it’s a good time to look at ways that make our homes more welcoming...

A chair in there

technopolymer in white, black, red or transparent. BRIGHTENING up or adding a touch of Designcraft also offers the Forum style can be as simple as adding an Dining Chair, $625, by Hussl, a stable, unusual chair, says Celia Quattrociocchi, lightweight and comfortable wooden product and marketing manager at chair, Celia says. Designcraft, in Hume. There’s also the Monza, $725, by The Caprice, $485, which Celia says Plank, conceived as a simple wood has “a lovely wintery feel of snowflakes construction in a Scandinavian style. It in the transparent version”, is suitable for features a back and armrest in plastic indoor or outdoor use. moulding which provides a splash of Designed by Marcello Zilliani, the colour, in shades from traffic-light red to Caprice family includes chairs and stools light blue. in a variety of finishes, including shiny Finally there’s the ST6 Dining Chair,

Something for everyone BLISS Garden and Giftware at Pialligo offers a range of homewares, from antique doorknobs and cushions to decorative clocks and kitchenware. Bliss also has a wide range of garden items, including outdoor furniture. These include threepiece table and chair settings, garden benches and rocking chairs. Bliss has a full nursery, which offers potting lessons for kids, and also offers a wide range of unusual giftware and jewellery. More information at www.blissgardengiftware.com.au or call 6257 8358.

$610, a small, lightweight and versatile chair for rooms where space is at a premium. The selection of backrests and possible colour combinations offers a wide range of effects and styles from classic to trendy, says Celia. More information at www. designcraft.net.au or call 6290 4900.

Room to move

Staying in place and adding extra rooms is a good solution THERE’S a trend away from for many people, Shannon upsizing and towards extendsays. ing our existing homes, says Many families want to move Shannon McGann, partner away from the old-fashioned at Acumen Carpentry and enclosed kitchens, preferring a Building Services. more open space which allows “We do renovations and them to spend time with their extensions, as well as a lot of families when cooking. bathroom and kitchen work,” Acumen also offer deck and says Shannon. “In the last pergola construction, interior two years we’ve found that and exterior painting, new people who approach us had homes and project manageconsidered moving to a larger ment. or newer house, but found that More information on 0408 there’s not much on offer.” 473316 or 0412 181648.

Captivating colour AN interior scheme should reflect the personality of the business owner or resident, says James Maloney, owner of Captivate Interior Design, which designs interiors for homeowners and commercial enterprises. “In commercial premises you might want to use colour to attract the eye to a particular part of the room, or to make use of colours incorporated into your branding identity,” James explains. “In a residence, though, you might want to use colour to make the room more harmonious and easier to relax in. “For example in a restaurant environment, the colour red can give a quite appetising feel, a romantic feel, but that same colour could be too much in the home.” It’s this adaptability that James says is a speciality of Captivate. “I think it’s really important to understand what a client is trying to achieve for that space, which is one of the reasons why I use 3D imaging to take them through a design,” he says. “There needs to be a synergy between the client’s personality and the design.” More information on www. captivate-id.com or call 0404 805 945.

CityNews July 8-14 19

your week in the stars

With Joanne Madeline Moore July 12-18

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

The Solar Eclipse is a magical time of beginnings and the promise of things to come. Finding solutions to stubborn domestic problems sees you nurture your home and family in innovative new ways. With Uranus in your sign, there’s never been a better time to embrace change and get your personal life back on track again.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Bulls – are your relationships stuck in a boring rut? The Solar Eclipse urges you to find fresh ways to connect with those around you whether at home, at work or in your local community. Relations with children, teenagers or friends will be difficult on Friday, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You’ll need plenty of patience though!

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Are you having a cash flow crisis? Twins aren’t good at saving (spending is your forte – especially on the latest technological gadgets) but it’s time for a fresh financial approach, as the New Moon lights up your dollar zone. If you can’t initiate changes yourself, then find a professional who can guide you through the money maze.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Get ready to update your image via a hip hairstyle, revamped wardrobe or new physical fitness routine. Don’t be an overcautious Crab! It’s time to embrace change as you reinvent yourself – and your life. Be inspired by Harrison Ford (born on July 13): “We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Leos love to live out loud but perhaps it’s time to slow down and contemplate your life and where you’re going. The more reflective, compassionate and caring you are, the better the week will be. On Sunday, you need to separate your wants from your needs, otherwise you’ll just end up feeling frustrated and confused.

general knowledge crossword No. 269 Across

Down

1 In “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, who was the king of the fairies? 8 Name the interval of time set aside for the planting of trees, etc (5,3). 9 What do we call a gunman who shoots from a concealed position? 10 What, broadly, is another word for an almanac? 11 Which short jacket ends above or at the waistline? 13 Name the hydrocarbons used in the manufacture of TNT. 16 What are preliminary statements by the authors of books? 19 What is a formal agreement between two or more states regarding peace, etc? 22 Which horse won both the Caulfield and Melbourne cups in 2001? 24 Name those herons found beside rivers, lakes, or dams. 25 What are newspaper drawings caricaturing subjects of current interest, or persons? 26 Name the important word used by Ali Baba to open the door of the robber's den.

2 Which is the more common term for housie-housie? 3 Name the monetary unit of India. 4 What is another word for a drug? 5 Who was slain by his brother, Cain? 6 Which colour lies between red and yellow in the spectrum? 7 Name a glass bottle used for water, wine, etc. 12 Name the third book of the New Testament. 14 To feel no inclination towards, or interest in anything, is to be what? 15 Which binary star system is sometimes seen by the naked eye as a new star? 17 What is a stick or switch made from canes? 18 What is a saint's day celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries? 20 Name the British noblemen ranked immediately above viscounts. 21 Which poles are erected by some native Americans in front of their houses? 23 Who is the Greek god of love?

Solution next week 6

8 9 10 11

12 13

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Are your dreams taking forever to manifest? The Solar Eclipse activates your hopes and wishes zone, and encourages you to be practical and patient. Follow the wise words of Henry David Thoreau (born on July 12): “Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

18 19

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

24 25 26

Sudoku hard No.35

Solution next week

Putting goals into action may feel like one step forwards and two steps back at the moment. Hold onto the dream – passion and persistence are the keys to making your wishes come true. Saturday is the day for cool compromise and careful communication. If you’re a stubborn Scorpio, expect power struggles and domestic dramas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Don’t be a superficial Sagittarian. Loved ones have been telling you a few home truths, but have you been listening? Maybe it’s time to take off your earmuffs and face the facts! This week’s Solar Eclipse promises a fresh start to do with joint finances and shared possessions. Be tactful though – you want changes but is the other person ready?

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Goats are the workaholics of the zodiac but professional accolades often come at the expense of your personal life. This week’s Solar Eclipse activates your partnership zone, which gives you the opportunity to reboot a tired old relationship – or navigate a hot new one. There’s always time (and energy) for romance and love!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

It’s time to catch up on daily basics (like cooking, cleaning, washing and routine chores) as well as general body maintenance. How’s your healthy diet and exercise plan going? And how long has it been since you enjoyed a swim, a massage or a walk in the park? A little regular attention now could save you from big problems further down the track.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Pisceans love to please and hate saying ‘no’, for fear of hurting others. Take on board the advice of Bill Cosby (born on July 12): “I don’t know the key to happiness, but the key to unhappiness is trying to please everyone.” Stand strong Pisces, otherwise a loved one may bulldoze you into doing something that you really don’t want to do. Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2010. 20 CityNews July 8-14

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

How’s your career going? With the Solar Eclipse in your professional zone, it’s time to re-think your approach to your job. Avoid the temptation to rest on your lovely Libran laurels. You have the opportunity to inspire others with your creative ideas so don’t waste it. If you’re looking for employment – now’s the time to strike.

Solutions

Crossword No.268 A C A C A L O R I E U S R O B B E R B S N I A C A M E L S U C O F F E R U F X B O L S T E E E R S E R I A L

P A R A D O E A R R U S S I A S P B I N S U L I A E M E N T O U D S U S U N C A N N R A U P I T I F U S E F

Sudoku medium No.35 X E N O N R E C Y C L E

property

Flexible house in Kambah A DOUBLE-brick Kambah property with a flexible floor plan would suit “high-end, first-home buyers or a variety of families”, says selling agent Andrew Curren. The house, which has views to Mount Taylor and the Brindabellas, is to be auctioned on Saturday, July 10. “The first option is a three-bedroom home with three living areas and two bathrooms. Alternatively, if the need arises for a fourth bedroom, then the family room would accommodate this perfectly, especially as an option for guests as it is adjacent to the second bathroom,” he says. The kitchen has been fully renovated with granite benches, gas cook top, dishwasher, cupboard space as well as an outlook to the backyard. Both bathrooms are also new, with the main having a spa bath, separate toilet and second vanity.

Address: 77 Harrington Circuit, Kambah. Auction: On site, Saturday, July 10, 2pm. Inspection: 1.30pm-2pm before auction. Price: Bidding expected to be in the range of mid-to-high $400,000s. Agent: Andrew Curren, of LJ Hooker Tuggeranong on 0424 288717 or 6293 4499. While there is ducted reverse cycle air-conditioning throughout, a feature gas pot-belly furnace and black and gold-rimmed ceiling fan in the lounge room will warm and cool as required. Polished floors flow from room to room. The backyard is large and flat with a double garage.

77 Harrington Circuit, Kambah... views to Mount Taylor and the Brindabellas.

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