Issue 36

THE

December 2007 Issue 36

EE FR

on Canberra & Queanbeyan

Publication WRITTEN ENTIRELY by THE COMMUNITY - to upload articles go to www.theword.com.au Community Business Health & Lifestyle

Arts & Entertainment

Food & Wine

Seniors

Education Environment Green Lifestyle Homefront

Sports

Lunchbreak

Kids

INSIDE STORIES

Education Bullying - Some basic principles

Health & Lifestyle Sheep Shooting for Boredom

Environment Eco Runaway Fashion Parade

T

Arts & Entertainment Rock School kids shake up Canberra

he thrill of New Year’s in the City celebrations will be buzzing through Canberra this new year’s eve, with a great program of free events on Monday 31 December, proudly presented by the ACT Government.

Civic Square’s family concert will kick off at 7.30pm, and Garema Place will host the Bass in the Place dance party just after 9pm - at the conclusion of the evening’s first spectacular fireworks display over City Hill.

Headlining the free family concert in Civic Square is Bee Gees tribute band Night Fever.

Renowned for capturing the essence of the Bee Gees and hailed as one of the best live tribute bands covering four decades of Bee Gees music, Night Fever’s Civic Square performance will showcase the definitive Bee Gees collection.

Well known harmony laden tracks including How deep is your love, You should be dancin’, Stayin’ alive and Tragedy are just some of the favourites you can looking forward to hearing.

Night Fever will be supported by Canberra favourite Vince Gelonese and his band. Vince’s two energy packed sets – complete with a duo of

dancing girls – will include party favourites from the 70’s and 80’s followed by some Latin fever to get the whole family dancing.

Second on Civic Square’s bill are The Fuelers, who take their name from nitro fuelled drag cars and perform with the same hight speed in intensity. The Fuelers’ music is inspired by a mix of bluegrass, oldtime, swing, rockabilly, country, with a little bit of pop, and their sound and charisma are sure to get the Civic Square crowds revved into top gear.

Continued on pg 4

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See why it’s better being a member!

ABN 44117238105 PO Box 1303 Dickson ACT 2602 Phone: (02) 6292 9061 Email: advertising@theword.com.au Website: www.theword.com.au Publisher John Hancock Graphic Design Leonie Van Ash

From the Editor

www.theword.com.au

Industry fund members enjoy simpler, smarter banking One of the great benefits of being an industry fund member is that you can bank smarter and save money with Members Equity Bank, the bank owned by leading industry super funds.

CALL 1300 309 374

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Well, it’s been a few issues between drinks and my last yawp. I couldn’t help myself, with another year passing, birthday, Christmas and NY just around the corner, and some big decisions for The Word. With 3.5 years under our belt and almost daily praise from our readers, I am confident the model of a paper written by its readers is a goer.

Many of you may recall my early columns, where I spoke about the pains and passions of starting a business built on dreams. The 16-hour days, 7-day weeks, shed renovations for the office, unloading 35 000 copies off a truck at 9am, having gone to press at 4am.

The past three and half years have been the toughest of my life! This paper would not be around today were it not for my partner’s support as our production manager, graphic designer and everything else. Thanks for staying through thick and thin, mostly thin, to keep the dream alive Leonie! When it was just the two of us. There you sat, tapping away, clicking your mouse through the gentle, early morning hours, as most of your readers slept.

Achieving over those drawn dawn days what most publications throw teams at…

30/08/2007 3:41:21 PM Thanks Ashley for your enduring efforts and your kind nature. You have truly been a terrific team member, one of the family. Brett (of Brett’s Express), thanks mate, you’ve been a legend. And to our extended family, Fabian, John and Colleen, a big thanks for your tremendous commitment to our distribution, you are a rare and beautiful species!

Yes, I realise this is starting to sound like an election speech…just a couple more. Our advertisers. Some advertisers want to know every last little demographic for readership, because that’s what a few courses in marketing imbued. They need a publication to be out there for ten years or more. They need to see everyone else in there before they’ll dip their toes. The late adopters. Our advertisers are not these people. Our advertisers shared our vision for free, high quality publishing, for a release of the media stranglehold in this town.

They took risks with us and most are still with us today. I urge you, the reader, to support the businesses in this publication. They are community spirited, ready to go against a grain, to try something new and to support your opportunity to be published.

To our readers, thanks for picking up the

NEED HELP BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT?

ASK US ANYTHING! INFORMATION REFERRAL ADVICE ADVOCACY SUPPORT Our friendly shopfront assistants can help you to find the right services

Visit us at our ACT Info Shop Griffin Centre, Genge Street Canberra City ACT 2601 Call us on our Infoline 02 6248 7988

www.citizensadvice.org.au Please note: Our offices will be closed between 21 December 2007 and 14 January 2008

Citizens Advice Bureau ACT HELPING YOU FIND THE HELP YOU NEED!

paper! We were warned against going 100% functionality on its way includes a thumbnail to sites. At least with letterbox distribution, gallery, calendar (with event upload facility), readership is so much more private. No one opinion poll, weekly e-news feeds and plenty knows if the paper makes it inside, or only to more. I cannot think of being more excited the bin. With site distribution, everyone can about any year as I am about 2008. Dreams see how many papers are moving. So thanks take flight next year! for your loyalty and for the tremendous From our little team at The Word, we wish you feedback that has kept us going. all a safe and relaxing season. Cheers!

Achievements 2007 Office move. Our new website, driven entirely by our readers.

Continued from pg1 The new gloss cover look for The Word Opening the show at 7.30pm is local duo Julia Distribution sites exceed 900 and the Deep Sea Siren to welcome everyone to Six publishers trialing our software Plans for 2008 Our company, Wordzine Pty Ltd, has grown on the inside as well. Over the past 18 months we have developed some publishing software that allows us and now other independent publishers to export stories and articles submitted by our readers via the website, into the printed publication. Over the past 10 weeks I covered 16000 km of bitumen and 9000 km in the air, meeting with over 70 other independent publishers across Australia and showing them our systems. There are now nine publications using our software and plenty more booking online demo’s.

While all this is great for the company, my increasing absence from the print side means we have a BIG opportunity for sales people, in particular someone who would like to take on this publication. While 80% of our advertisers are repeat and 95% are happy to book over the phone, the paper needs someone at the helm driving business. We are currently recruiting through agencies and online. If you know someone suitable, point them our way.

The main focus for 2008 will be on our website and publishing software. Additional

Civic Square and set the scene for a great night of fun and New Year’s Eve celebration.

For those who are into the DJ scene, the Bass in the Place Dance Party is back to see New Year’s in the City go off with a boom. DJs will mix it up under the Garema Place clock, playing this year’s biggest dance hits to get you moving, while VJ’s will project all the dance action back onto the big screens.

Canberrans at both events will be spoilt with two spectacular New Year’s in the City fireworks displays over City Hill. The family fireworks will light the night’s sky at 9pm, followed by the main event at midnight, officially signalling the start of 2008!

New Year’s in the City is a wonderful time for celebrating and both events provide a great opportunity to see in 2008 with family and friends.

So bring your New Year’s cheer to Canberra City and enjoy the free line up of entertainment, presented by the ACT Government.

For more information on the events please contact Canberra Connect on 13 22 81, and for details on Civic Square’s free family concert visit www.events.act.gov.au Both events are alcohol-free.

New Year’s in the City event sponsors are ActewAGL, the Canberra Labour Club Group, Mix 106.3, FM 104.7 and PRIME Television.

Giving the finger – Men in the media There’s a road safety ad on free-to-air television at the moment targeting young male drivers.

Confronted by smoking tyres and out-ofcontrol cornering, women standing by the roadside and male friends in the back seat pass their judgement on the driver by curling a little finger in a way that suggests that the driver has, well, not to be too delicate, a small penis. The message is very clear – hoon drivers aren’t real men!

What’s wrong with this ad, you might ask?

We did ask at a recent CMC Board meeting, leading to a very passionate discussion. Some of us thought the ad was valuable because it was effective, while others talked about double standards in advertising – would we so readily accept an ad campaign that made inferences about women’s bodies as a way of changing women’s behaviour in an area of social concern? Do we really want to play on men’s persistent and seemingly ineradicable fears about penis size and manliness to make a point about something else.

The problem is that the media struggles when talking about ‘men’. There isn’t much comfort in looking to the broader community, because the same struggle will be found out here too.

There’s the traditional lexicon, where men are strong, good with their hands and taciturn in the face of adversity, but even the term ‘bloke’ has now morphed into the derisory ‘blokey’.

More recent media confections are just as narrow. First there was the SNAG, a vaguely leftish hippie-like creature of the 70’s, overly compliant with ‘what women want’, or the more recent ‘metrosexual’ –fashionable, closeshaven, washed and sweet-smelling, narcissistic and shallow…Beyond these meagre offerings, what do we as a society have to say about men’s

qualities, men’s roles, men’s place in the world?

When marketing to women, ads generally use positive images, either ones associated with traditional roles and personal characteristics of caring and domestic expertise, or showing women from more modern perspectives, acting in non-traditional roles as successful, professional, capable and competent women – with some notable exceptions (think Lara Bingle).

How does the advertising industry market to men? We sit in our outhouses admiring our roofing, sneak in takeaway when the kids’ mother irresponsibly leaves us to prepare dinner, sit hypnotised by sport on TV, and abandon our intellects with the hiss of air escaping from a newly opened beer bottle…but at the same time we somehow manage to look stylish and charming in hideously expensive suits as we attend our board meetings and engage in serious financial transactions with high flying corporate figures, while taking in at a glance the swooningly beautiful model type sitting nearby who is so obviously in awe of our sensitive yet strong masculinity. Now I understand why Joe Jackson asked where the real men are…

Be warned. This focus on men in the media is just getting started! If you want to make a comment, email me at grega@menscentre.com.au.

Greg AldridgeManager Canberra Men’s Centre

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Hungry for a Home - the House Hunting Experience Submitted by: Adrienne Gross idly by while you wipe your feet on the doormat becomes the sentinels by which you may pass into the land of smug home ownership.

Well-meaning advice from said home owners about having realistic expectations is cast aside much like motherly comments that it was a bit harsh dumping a bloke just because he once owned a chihuahua. But sage advice should be heeded – for no house is ever perfect. There is always something missing, like extra power points, too many power points, or a big tree that looks dead, not enough trees even if the agent spins on ‘easy to maintain garden’ for barren wasteland. After a couple of months of doormat dalliances, they remember your name and have a joke, like good old Tim whose charm and humour at least made the drudgery of Saturdays a bit brighter - even if he does work for a company with a teddy bear as a gimmick at auctions.

But after a couple of months, faults become more apparent, even in the advertising – why, if I had a dollar for every spelling mistake and abuse of hyphenation that riddles real estate ads, then I could buy those outrageously priced apartments on Kingston foreshore. You want three million dollars to look at a muddy lake with jumping carp? The bitterness and injustice of the Canberra housing market is even more apparent when pamphlets from charity Boystown mailouts reveal that one Stage 1: Initial prowl in could buy THREE renovated Paddington terrace houses for that. No carp indeed, but grassy rolling knolls There are some average looking snacks out it’s SYDNEY for f**’s sake. Am I sounding there but nothing that fits the taste; a big juicy bitter? Nah, just getting real heaving wet-with-life hunk of buffalo rump, Stage 2: Getting Real – when aka 3 bedroom ensuite in Inner South with yard and cute cottage fixtures. At exhibitions, even a snack will do Now that 3 beddie has morphed into “Hey it’s fun poking into other people’s houses, looking at their furniture and pictures, trying we could get away with 2 bedrooms, as long as to imagine their lives, and then trying to there’s a shed, and hey who needs a yard anyway imagine yours. The estate agents who stand – dogs are too messy.” This is when you realise Humans need four things to live: air, water, food and shelter – but these days these essentials involve oxygen therapy, Evian bottled l’eau, and low-GI seven-seed bread. Yes indeed, we in the Western world think beyond the shelter of a mere cave and desire a castle.

But while humans no longer need to spear lions and wrestle sabre-tooth tigers to feed their needs, there is one hunt that remains: house hunting.

There’s nothing like impending hunger to get off one’s haunches “Yeah I suppose we had better buy something.” The rental property was being sold and we had eight months to find somewhere else. We had often joked about our apartment – good riddance we thought.

No more dodgy doors, freezing winters and boiling summers, or dousing Glen 20 over the stinky drains. And this in a place less than 5 years old. A dream of another abode caused our eyes to light up with visions of compost bins, a vegie garden and a German shepherd – surely such an attainable feat, and we were filled with much enthusiasm. It seemed like we had all the time in the world to find the perfect home - or so we thought.

So then it started; a routine of daily checks on allhomes, traipsing around to inspections.

Meetings with banks and solicitors. Suddenly Saturdays disappeared - the hunting had begun.

There are three main stages of hunting, with degrees of emotional delight and despair.

Invest with

confidence

This column answers questions I’m frequently asked about investing in property.

I don’t have huge amounts of cash but

that prices that seemed absurd six months ago were actually a bargain. The ‘we should haves’ burst forth from fights over map-navigation in cul-de-sacs. Thoughts of “do I even want to live with this person” cross the mind. Time is ticking down with hunger and desperation entering the Savannah. Even a pygmy possum or giant stuffed teddy bear will do about now.

And if the list of half-a-million-dollar price tags aren’t enough to dampen European holiday plans, auctions are exceptionally depressing because there’s a faint glimmer of hope: “Maybe, just maybe, no-one will bid and we’ll get it for a bargain.” And then the bidding starts at what your limit was and then the next 20 minutes is spent wondering how a 26 year old has enough money to buy Gucci sunglasses, a Mercedes convertible and the property he’ll rent out anyway. Needless to say, I wanted to punch that gimmicky bear after the fifth auction.

Emotions can be happy ones though when the house becomes a home in mind as soon as you walk in the door and it feels like you could kick off your shoes, pour a glass of wine and wash the dishes at the kitchen window overlooking the garden.

The images come to you at work – where the dining table could go, the parties on the balcony, wouldn’t the Blues Brothers Continued on pg. 7

want to invest—are there opportunities for me?

Definitely. We have many deals with excellent terms. Some only require a small deposit and in no staggered payments during the 12-18 month building phase. This means you enjoy a price growth before you settle and have months to save for stamp duty/legal costs and look for a tenant. We currently have properties only requiring $1K down and some only $3K. Should I wait to see if the market goes up more?

It’s best to invest sooner rather than later in a fast growing market. If not, you’ll end up investing at the peak of the boom and paying the highest price. Brisbane/SE Queensland still have the country’s greatest drivers of growth (population, job creation, strong yields against purchase price and now a new Federal Government bound to look after itself).

Shouldn’t I invest where I live?

It’s wise to buy where you’ll make the most money. While many investors believe ‘investing in their own backyard’ is smart because they’re close to the property and can ‘keep an eye on it’ this approach can rob you of the chance to make the best return—unless you live in a hot spot of course. Today, experts say it’s most expensive to invest in Sydney, followed

by Perth, Canberra and Melbourne. Brisbane remains the best place.

W

ant to learn more about hot Queensland properties?

We have relationships with developers and have access to excellent properties before they’re publicly promoted. Call 6295 3133 for an appointment for an obligation-free chat.

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Last chance to nominate an

‘Award-worthy’ Canberran With only one month remaining, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope is reminding the community to nominate welldeserving Canberrans for the 2008 Canberra Citizen of the Year Award, the 2008 Canberra Gold Chief Minister’s Awards and for inductees to the ACT Honour Walk.

Mr Stanhope said these are three of Canberra’s most prestigious awards to recognise individuals and groups who achieve great things and who make a significant contribution to our community.

“The Canberra Citizen of the Year Award recognises those in the ACT who have made a significant contribution to the Canberra community. Individuals and groups may be nominated for the award and their contribution may be from any field, including the arts, education, community work or business.

“The Canberra Gold Chief Minister’s Awards are for people who have been living in the ACT for fifty years or more, as at 12 March each year. The award aims to recognise and celebrate the commitment made by the long-term residents of the ACT. “To date we have received approximately 130 nominations for the 2008 Canberra Gold Award, with our longest-standing nominee residing in Canberra since 1924.

“Both the Canberra Citizen of the Year Award and the

Canberra Gold Awards are an important part of our city’s birthday celebrations, with awards presented in March during the Canberra Day celebrations.

“The ACT Honour Walk, located on Ainslie Avenue, recognises individuals or groups from across all areas of endeavour whose significant contribution has shaped the city as we know it today. Nominees for the ACT Honour Walk do not have to be residents of the ACT and may be awarded posthumously.”

Nominations for the Canberra Citizen of the Year Award and Canberra Gold Chief Minister’s Awards close on 31 December 2007. Nominations for the ACT Honour Walk may be received any time throughout the year, with inductees traditionally added in December each year.

“I encourage you all to nominate a fellow Canberran or group who deserve special recognition,” Mr Stanhope said.

Life as it is There is a time to be humble A time to respect the feelings of others A time to say hey!!

There are others more important than I It’s a time to reflect the reasons why Why we have what others may not Why others may or may not envy what you have Why the world will keep turning With or without you Why the woman by your side can look into your eyes And say I love you When others may use a different tone of voice There is a time to realize that life Is not what you have at the end But what you do along the way

For further information about the Awards and to obtain nomination forms, visit www.cmd. act.gov.au or phone 6205 3031.

For you are judged on not what you became But how you become it There is a time to question the road that you’re on For the direction can change without warning

Lifeline listens…No matter

And there is a time to say thank you For the joys received so far

Like a pebble thrown into a pool of still water,

Other days we really make waves.

Lifeline listens…No matter

But most of all, there is a time to return the I love you

Lifeline changes lives…gently.

Right now, somewhere in our region, a Lifeline

how long that may take.

And mean it with all of your heart

Without fireworks or fanfare, Lifeline touches

telephone counsellor is listening to a story…

Crisis takes many forms:

For the one thing I have learnt in life is

more people than we can count.

Of loss or loneliness…

Relationship

There is no better time than now…

We call it the ripple effect.

Of fear or frustration…

or

Sometimes the ripples are so tiny we hardly

Of anger or regret…

issues,

notice them.

Of suicide and death…

and

2008 CANBERRA CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD Recognises local individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to our community.

KNOW AN ORTHY AWARD-WORTHY CANBERRAN? Nominations are now being called for the following awards

2008 CANBERRA GOLD CHIEF MINISTER’S AWARDS Recognises and celebrates the commitment made by long-t long-term residents who have liv lived in the ACT for 50 yyears or more.

For further information and a nomination form: www.cmd.act.gov.au Phone: 6205 3031

ACT HONOUR WALK Recognises individuals or groups whose significant contribution has shaped our city.

difficulties

breakdown,

family

Gregory F B

employment unemployment,

loneliness, isolation, financial or gambling

long-term support.

difficulties, grief and loss, sexuality, drug and

Telephone counsellors are people motivated

alcohol abuse, mental ill-health, physical

by a deep caring and concern for the people

illness, suicide or thoughts of suicide.

of our community. They are generous,

Our 215, highly trained, volunteer counsellors,

open, non-judgemental and listen with respect to all people irrespective of their age, race or creed.

work to help callers manage the immediate situation and offer appropriate referrals to organisations or counselling for ongoing or

Lifeline Canberra is always there 24 hours a day…..7 days a week…..365 days a year Phone:13 1114

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Continued from pg. 5 picture look just right at the end of the hallway.

Then the auction rolls around – will tonight be a celebration, or yet another bottom of a bottle of red night? Then that Mercedes bloke shows up and you know that any dishes being washed ain’t gonna be here.

Location is the ever-binding boundary – going beyond your own turf would seem like lurking about in a jungle. The initial statement of “wouldn’t be seen dead living in Ainslie” becomes, “Hmm, Ainslie’s not so bad, and they have the football club – maybe we could learn to like football.” Then there are identifiable boundary lines of ‘derro-ness’, starting with ‘Derrobundah’, which is the end closest to the caravan park, and generally any street that has

rusting bicycles and dirty children lying about the front yard.

The Getting Real stage also refines the bullshit detector – ‘Quaint cottage’ says the advertisement, and quaint it ain’t, at least in the sense that the building report mentioned ‘borers’ at least three times and wood-rot came up more often than ‘the’. “But the floorboards are so gorgeous darling! Don’t you love floorboards?” “Yes, I do. So do termites.

And that tree looks like the roots are creeping ever-closer to the ceramic pipe - fancy a 10 grand plumbing bill?” Old houses are lovely, but they need lots of money to keep them that way. That said, there are some very dodgy new places too, flung up in a rush to meet the public

St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) – A Life of Significance Most people in our community live successful lives, whether at home, within the family, or at work. Many however seek to do something of significance. To achieve something of significance, you cannot remain in your comfort zone. St. Francis of Assisi said that “All getting separates you from others; all giving unites to others.”

Serious battle calls for commitment rather than interest. Vinnies needs you to leave your comfort zone and commit to the community battle to help those in need or in despair.

Volunteers can commit and assist through a variety of activities such as: the Vinnies Night Patrol which provides help and a listening ear to those living on the streets; the Vinnies Youth Activities program that helps disadvantaged children, and young carers; in supporting the seven Vinnies retail outlets in Tuggeranong, Dickson, Belconnen, Phillip, Narrabundah, Gungahlin, and Queanbeyan, or the Vinnies Central Sorting facility located in Mitchell; or as team members within the Emergency Call Centre, or the Vinnies Community Disaster Response Teams. Volunteers may also assist in the Vinnies Home Visitation program as members of a local Vinnies conference.

To Volunteer now, call 02 6282 2722.

St Vincent de Paul

Christmas appeal 2007

At St Vincent de Paul Society we bring lasting change to improve the lives of those in need in your local community

P 02 6282 2722 www.stvincanb.com.au

service gangbusters five years ago. Creaking plywood staircases, whopping great chasms of cracks on balcony overhangs – and EER 5, my butt. Missing a decimal point somewhere?

So where’s the middle ground?

Anything. It’s time for food.

Anywhere.

Stage 3: Ravening hunger This phase is great for sellers and real estate agents (who you know as well as your hairdresser by now). They can see the glazed look, hear the self-talk “Yes, we could do something with that dead tree, surely, it can’t be THAT bad.”

They see the lean muscles stretched to breaking point, enough to go giddy at an auction perhaps. Where will it end? Each house

blends into the other, you wonder “which one was that again?” Each abode is recalled by some quirk rather than street name “the one with the goldfish pond” or “the one with the puke-yellow walls and dirty great big 70s gas heater with cobwebs.”

So after months of prowling for a house with a yard, then shifting mindsets to a townhouse, then anything that remotely resembles a step up from the poky two-bedroom apartment with leaking doors and no carpet underlay, the idea came to us.

“Hey, let’s bid on this place.”

Will we ever be sated? Time will tell.

The auction is this Saturday.

FOR SALE Mazda MX-6 1992

$3,000 Ph: 6247 9639

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Light Rail for ACT and Capital Region...

The Capital Region’s roads are increasingly congested, especially during peak hours and the entire road network is becoming increasingly unsuitable for the volume that is currently commuting every day just to get to work.

Light rail will provide a transport system attractive enough to encourage people out of their cars in all areas of the ACT and Capital Region. The ACT Government (with the assistance of the Federal Government) needs to commit resources to undertake an initial comprehensive feasibility study that will explore possible routes and establish accurate costing for a Light Rail network. A proposed Light Rail network could initially utilise the existing Tuggeranong, Kingston, Queanbeyan/ Bungendore rail lines and ultimately be

Training for a Healthy Mind, AND Wallet

expanded to include all ACT town centres and significant areas of employment.

Park & Ride facilities will need to be provided strategically around the network alleviating the need for mass parking in the employment centres. This will encourage people to drive only within the local area or ride a bike (or walk) to the nearest public transport Park & Ride facility; with the initial facilities potentially being strategically located in the townships of Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden, Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong.

From a Park & Ride station you would be able to catch the light rail in to the major employment centres. The incentive to use the Park & Ride facility will come from the concept that parking is free when combined with use of the Light Rail system and / or interconnecting bus services. This would allow parking in the major employment centres to be freed up and appropriately rationed so that there could be relatively cheap and abundant short term parking, however longer stay and all day parking would be priced Body to encourage public transport use instead.

Corporate, community and individual Health and Wealth training Fitness for Christmas classes Free Cashflow Calculator until 31 Jan 08 Gift vouchers available Read testimonials at www.financialfitness.com.au Be one of the 6% who make it financially!

Ask us how Call 1300 YES NOW (1300 937 669)

Experience in other cities has shown that the development of light rail networks has a flow on effect of expanding and revitalizing the interconnecting bus system.

Canberra’s planners have long acknowledged that a serviceable public transport system, whether it is buses or light rail, will need a network of dedicated transport corridors. The cost of providing quality infrastructure for dedicated bus-ways is not as cost effective as light rail and the operating and maintenance costs for buses are significantly higher than for light rail vehicles.

The major running expenses for ACTION Buses are the costs related to drivers; fuel, repairs,

ACT Light Rail (under creative commons licence to openstreetmap.org

maintenance, plus long-term and ongoing replacement of the bus fleet. Although the capital costs of Light Rail vehicles are more expensive initially, with Light Rail the number of people that can be transported per vehicle (per driver) is significantly more and the travel time is less; therefore the average cost per passenger is less. Also the maintenance and replacement cost for light rail vehicles over the total vehicle life-cycle is considerably less.

dedicated bus-ways. Cities with populations comparable to Canberra (as found in Europe cities and some North American cities with low population densities) comfortably sustain light rail systems.

It should be noted that approximately 65 km of new track will only cost about twice as much as the Gungahlin Drive Extension roadworks.

This will link all existing ACT town centres and areas of significant employment.

Opponents of light rail are quick to state that the construction costs of light rail are prohibitively expensive and Canberra does not have the population capable of sustaining such a network. Often these people refer to early studies, which bear no relevance to the Canberra situation.

Everyone can see the increasing congestion on our roads during peak periods. Light rail has the potential to significantly relieve congestion on our road network and free up the buses to enable services within the suburbs to be substantially improved.

More recent research would indicate light rail track costs between 3 and 6 million dollars per kilometre, which would be comparable to, if not cheaper than alternatives such as additional bus lanes or enlarged roads for

Canberra needs to start planning for light rail now, not waiting until 2030. The ACT Light Rail group is looking to put the concept of Light rail back on the public agenda in lead up to the next territorial election in 2008.

Lifestyle change?

Sea change?

Fancy working AND enjoying the lifestyle of your dreams?

6-months living on a Greek island and 6-months back in Oz? Maybe you should run the premier Internet Café on Naxos Island!

M@trix Internet Café is situated in the Chora and is located in a prime position which takes advantage of the many tourist hotels, apartments and studios.

The business hours are perfect for running a profitable business, with time to relax and enjoy the wonderful Greek Lifestyle.

Naxos is a popular destination for wind and kite surfers, and travellers flock to the beautiful beaches which are the best in Greece.

Inland, the mountains and valleys provide perfect opportunities for visitors to explore the beautiful scenery, and are also a magnet for photographers.

Interested?

Check out our website www. matrix-naxos.com or email matrix. naxos@gmail.com Geoff for further information.

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December 2007

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Minister presents award to student winner of Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition Minister for Education and Training Mr Andrew Barr MLA, presented Ms Aprelle Coady, a student at Copland College, her award as ACT winner of CPA Australia’s Plan Your Own Enterprise competition.

“When students engage in business planning opportunities at school and college, they develop important financial and consumer literacy, enterprise, and employability skills.

These skills are applicable to all workplaces and highly valued by employers,” Mr Barr said.

Plan Your Own Enterprise is a national competition for senior secondary students

Members Equity Bank wins four Money Magazine “The Best of The Best” Awards Members

Equity

Bank (ME) today won four major banking awards, including the Gold Award for its InterestME Investment Account, in the prestigious Money Magazine The Best of the Best Awards (December 2007January 2008).

Members Equity Bank also took out three Bronze Awards for Cheapest Personal Loan, Best Three-Year Fixed Home Loans and Best Five-Year Fixed Investment Home Loans.

In a category dominated by old-school cash management accounts, Members Equity Bank’s InterestME Account has repeated last year’s victory, winning Gold again. Currently, InterestME pays 6.75% for every dollar over $3000.* InterestME is a two-in-one account because customers get “the high interest of a savings account combined with easy access of a transaction account,” says ME’s Head of Strategy and Retail Marketing Ms Sue Jamieson.

Despite the large numbers of Australians using their home loans as an ATM, personal loans are far from an endangered species. One key advantage to the Members Equity Personal Loan is the fixed term, which caps the overall interest charge, making payments easier to budget. ME’s Personal Loan charges zero annual fees and a competitive 12.49% interest rate.

With the uncertainty in the global economy, a growing number of Australians are looking for a fixed-home loan rate to lock in interest payments.

ME’s Three-Year Fixed Home Loan won the Bronze Award because it offers protection against future rate hikes, and makes it easier for a family to budget.

Investors are also looking to fix their loan to cap their interest rate repayments.

ME’s won Bronze for Best Five-Year Fixed Investment Home Loan in this year’s Money Magazine Awards.

One of ME’s shareholder funds HostPLUS was voted Best Super Fund of the Year for the second year in a row. *For every dollar up to $3000 you’ll earn 0.25% Fees, charges and lending criteria apply.

Interest Rates are current at 5/12/07.

For more information please contact your local representative: Jim Giannakopoulos National Relationship Manager (03) 9605 6145 Mob: 0418 122 595 Dascia Bennett National Relationship Manager (02) 8296 0313 Mob: 0419 886 778 NSW, ACT, QLD, SA, WA, NT

conducted by Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) Australia. In the ACT, the competition is conducted in partnership with Business Educators ACT. More than 50 secondary college students submitted enterprising business plans for the competition, in three divisions – open, under 16 years and group.

“Nationally, and here in the ACT, there is an increasing focus on all students developing these skills at school, in partnership with business and industry.”

“The new ACT curriculum framework identifies essential learning to assist students

develop the full range of employability skills and, in particular, the capacity to make informed decisions about money and finance.”

“I congratulate CPA Australia and Business Educators ACT for coordinating this excellent competition, which offers students the chance to extend their business skills in an authentic environment,” Mr Barr concluded.

The ACT competition winners are: Division 1 (open) – Aprelle Coady, Copland College; Division 2 (under 16) – Aprelle Coady, Copland College; Division 3 (group) – Fuchsia Bullot and Bree Carlyle-Watson, Hawker College; and Commendation – Gavin Soles, Hawker College.

Diabetes ACT Supermarket tours to run in a new form!

The new version of the supermarket tours will be at our premises in Holder enabling the participant to enjoy the comforts of an armchair with tea/ coffee available. More time for discussion and participation has been arranged and participants are encouraged to bring packets and food labels for discussion. The virtual supermarket tour will assist with all your queries and questions and we look forward to your attendance. Gold coin donation appreciated.

Regular Supermarket Tours will run throughout Diabetes Week in conjunction with Woolworths at Belconnen and Tuggeranong.

Bookings and payment can be made for these tours at Diabetes ACT on 62889874 / 1300 136 588

Buy a property sooner with ANZ Family Guarantee

Tania Chesworth & Paul Lanzon Tania – 0437 131314 Paul – 0422 007005 One of the biggest barriers to purchasing a home is saving the deposit. ANZ Family Guarantee gives you a head start by letting you purchase a property without a deposit*. You can use ANZ Family Guarantee to buy a home or invest in property.

ANZ Family Guarantee lets your parents use the equity in their home as additional security for a portion of your loan amount. This means you can increase your borrowing capacity and buy a property sooner. You may even be able reduce or avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

How it works The guarantor can be a parent(s), parent in-law or step-parent. Grandparents and siblings will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. The guarantor can determine what portion of the loan will be secured.

Benefits: * Buy your own property sooner * Maximise the amount you can borrow * Reduce or avoid LMI * Guarantors can determine what proportion of the loan they will secure.

*If the Family Guarantee amount does not reduce the Loan Value Ratio to below 80 per cent, a deposit will be necessary and a LMI premium payable. All applications for credit are subject to ANZ’s normal credit approval criteria. Terms and conditions are available on application. Fees and charges apply.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ.

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Childhood obesity linked to School Canteen Food

By Roslyn Mertin

M

ost primary school canteens provide small sweets and candy, pastry rolls and pies and fizzy drink but is that what is causing Canberra’s children to become obese? Canberra primary school students are eating these foods, which should only be eaten occasionally, on a daily basis. But do they realise the effects that it is having on their body? And what their parents think? Do you know what their kids are

eating? The new healthy canteen regulation list being brought into schools every where, consists of healthy and unhealthy foods, guide lines on the role of the canteen, encouragement for students to buy healthy food, what the attributes of a healthy school canteen are and environmentally friendly canteen initiatives.

Most primary schools have now started a new

canteen food list with more healthy options for the children of today including a variety of fruit, juices, sandwiches, muesli bars and healthy treats. What the canteen wishes to achieve is to provide a choice of healthy foods for students, promoting healthy food which is of good quality, tasty and affordable, supports class room teaching and food safety issues and is even able to make a profit or break even.

The main factors that influenced what students bought from the canteen were the cost, the appearance of food, whether they had eaten it before, the taste and temperature of food. Difficulties found by most primary school Parent Committee’s with selling healthier food were different; that it was harder to make money due to soft drinks and packeted chips having a higher profit margin compared to healthy food. Also a lack of volunteers posed a problem because healthier foods were seen to take longer to prepare. Differences in parental views about the role of the canteen in the school also affected the regime.

The committee came to the conclusion that there are several factors that are likely to influence the success of a healthy canteen.

They include support for the canteen from

the whole school community, selling foods that taste good, provide good value for money, meeting the needs of the students and a good school community which values and supports the provision and promotion of healthy food choices. Although it is suggested that its best not to cut out all junk food products. To keep selling favourite ice creams such a Paddle Pops and Zooper Doopers, small bags of mixed lollies, toffee apple bars and red skin bars; but they will be promoting the healthier food with signs around the school and canteen area.

The canteen is seen with having a number of roles. These roles include providing a quality service for students, staff and parents, supporting and linking with what is being taught in the class rooms, promoting healthy foods to students, providing a range of healthy and unhealthy food to create a balance and providing food for children who have not brought lunch from home.

By the end of year 2008 this canteen strategy will be in every primary school in Australia, hopefully putting an end to childhood obesity and keeping Australia’s children fit and healthy for their future and ready for the next generation.

Local Special Effects Company

By Sharpfx

L

ocal company Sharp FX has just completed an extremely large project for The Australian War Memorial, and were thrilled to be successful in beating overseas companies to win the contract.

The production of 16 realistic mannequins for their new Post 1945 Conflict Galleries will be on display to the public in December for one month before the official opening in February 2008.

A lot of work went into making of the mannequins, which took Sharp FX 5 months to complete.

The first procedure in making the mannequins is doing a life cast of soldiers and some school children in a variety of action positions, some standing, sitting and one getting ready to jump out of the Iroquois helicopter. This was a painstaking 4 hours for each of the models as some were required to stand or sit in difficult positions for a lengthy period of time.

The bodies were then fibre glassed and all 16 sets of the heads and hands were resculpted to add extra expression to their faces and positioning of hands. The heads and hands were then painted and hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were punched into the silicone head strand by strand and finally 16 sets of eyes were made out of resin and painted. The authenticity and realism will speak in volumes once you have seen this new exciting display.

Sharp FX had to contract workers from Sydney and Queensland, and had their students from this year’s course also gaining some work experience which contributed to some of the finished product.

Sharp FX would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the brave souls who kindly contributed their time and bodies for the life casting.

It has been an extremely busy year for Sharp FX, while they were working on the AWM project they also worked on feature film George Millers Prey starring Jesse Johnson and Natalie Basthingwaite which was shot down in Melbourne. Sharp FX were required to make all the prosthetic makeup for the

film along with 5 x 2 metre silicone snakes and also a 3 metre silicone snake in which they had only 6 weeks to complete.

Sharp FX are currently working on feature film The Dark Lurking which is being shot in QLD.

Sharp FX are now taking enrolments for their 2008 special effects prosthetic Make-up course for more information please contact Nicky Sharp on 0412 059 515 or visit their website at www.sharpfx.com.au

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Bullying - Some basic principles

By Gen

It is obvious that bullying is not confined to children beating each other up in the playground. With so many different forms of technology, bullying can happen via numerous mediums including mobiles, internet, letters, and gossip.

said that ‘the size of the payout showed the seriousness of bullying and its devastating effects’.

Who knows? With proper supervision maybe Benjamin would have been spared the trauma of bullying.

During high school, Tania Sampson* suffered serious bullying at the hands of her so called friends. At one stage, indecent pictures of herself were sent to her father. It has taken many years to rebuild the trust that was destroyed when her father saw those photos.

While it is not possible for teachers to monitor these actions by simply being in the child’s presence, without basic supervision how is escalation of bullying behaviour supposed to be prevented.

E

ight year old primary school student, Charlie cowers in a secluded corner of the playground, praying Jonah and his friends don’t find him before the bell rings. He glances at his watch and lets out a sigh of relief, only 2 minutes before class begins.

During recess and lunch Charlie usually manages to stay out of danger by loitering close to a teacher, however, before school when the playground is devoid of any adult supervision Charlie is an easy target for bullies. Every day he brings home new bumps and bruises. He shrugs off his mothers concern, telling her that he has fallen over.

This story is likely to be neither shocking nor surprising to the majority of Australians.

Gone are the days when bullying was seen as character building, nowadays Australian parents seem well aware of the huge impact bullying can have on their children.

Defined by wikipedia as ‘an individual who tends to torment others, either through verbal harassment or physical assaults, or through more subtle methods of coercion’, bullying is a serious issue for Australian children.

According to a 2006 report released by ‘Kids Help Line’ over 3000 phone calls were received by the service in 2006. Of these calls, bullying was the sixth most common reason for calling, with statistics showing that 39% of all calls reported frequent episodes of bullying or continual harassment.

Schools themselves are also becoming more aware to the problem. Walk into an average primary school and what do you see? Anti bullying slogans blazoned around the school as well as children being encouraged to speak about their problems and address signs of bullying. It is no longer something to be kept in the dark.

Even John Howard has noted it is a problem.

In 2004, the Howard government put $5m dollars into a ‘National safe school framework’ initiative as well as introducing new legislation to combat bullying. Then in May of this year he unveiled a new plan to deal with violence in schools.

The plan attempts to give more power to teachers so they have further control over students showing signs of aggressive behaviour.

The strange thing is with all these schemes being instigated, a number of Australian schools are neglecting basic methods of bullying prevention.

Including proper teacher supervision before the beginning of school, and during school hours

The ACT department of education and training published a school policy in 1997 called ‘playground supervision of students’, that is still in use today. It states that ‘principles are required to make arrangements for the proper and adequate oversight of playgrounds and building during the thirty minute period immediately preceding the commencement of the first lesson’.

There is additional evidence from studies around the world that suggest playground supervision dramatically reduces the instance of bullying.

Earlier this year, a milestone in the fight against bullying occurred when 18 year old Benjamin Cox received a payout of $213,000 plus weekly wages for the rest of his life.

This payout was believed to worth around $1.5m over the course of the Mr. Cox’s lifetime. Public liability lawyer, Barry Woollacott who represented Mr. Cox

In Sheffield, England an anti bullying initiative took place in twenty three schools during 1991 to 1993. The initiative proved positive when students reported a significant decrease in the frequency of bullying. The initiative involved ‘changes to the use and quality of school grounds’ including increased playground supervision.

Australian Capital Territory Department of Education and Training

Creators of the Second Step Program, Committee for Children also advocate extra supervision for our children. They believe that ‘quality of adult supervision is critical to developing and maintaining a safe playground’.

HOMESTAY ACCOMMODATION NEEDED

Despite this, some schools in the ACT do not have teacher presence in the playground before the beginning of the school day. One ACT school that cannot be named argues that teachers are able to adequately supervise children from inside the building. Therefore there is no need for them to be physically in the yard.

International Education Unit CRICOS Registration Number 00643J ABN 71506957312

ACT Department of Education has international students who require homestay placement now!

Frank McCormick* disagrees. As a member of this ACT primary school board, he sees first hand the influence bullying can have on children and their families. ‘Parents come to me all the time, complaining about the lack of supervision in the playground before school begins’. He says parents feel this lack of supervision puts their children at a greater risk.

An opportunity for you to participate in cultural programs for school and college students from overseas.

You will be paid up to $220 per week FOR MORE INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS CONTACT: Homestay Coordinator International Education Unit ACT Department of Education 186 Reed Street, Tuggeranong ACT 2900 Phone: 6205 9194 Fax: 6205 9239

Manning Clarke Offices 186 Reed Street PO Box 1584 Tuggeranong ACT 2901 Telephone (612) 6205 9176 Facsimile (612) 6205 9239

Email: act.international.edu@act.gov.au

http://www.det.act.gov.au

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FOR SALE Caring for Canberra’s Kids Diamondback Racer $650 ridden only 4 times

Ph: 6247 9639

Barnardos has been caring for children and families in need since the early 1960s, starting with the first family group home for children at Atherton Street, Downer. Barnardos currently has many carers but we are always in need of more to meet the needs of the children and young people who come into out of home care.

Foster Care is the temporary care of a child or young person within the carers home, during a time when they cannot remain at home with their families; reasons for this may include parental stress, drug and alcohol issues, physical or mental illness. Foster Care is provided with the aims to return children and young people to their families when this is appropriate. In cases where this cannot be achieved and when there are no family members able to care for the child or young person, permanent care is arranged. In these cases carers are needed who can offer a home to a child or young person until they are 18 years of age. In some

cases where children have extra needs carers may be paid a fee in addition to the usual expenses.

Many children who are in foster care with Barnardos have experienced some form of abuse or neglect and may have emotional and behavioural problems. Barnardos are looking for carers who will open their homes to these children and are able to be understanding, caring and flexible and provide a safe family environment.

Being a carer brings both challenges and rewards. Most challenges stem from the emotional and physical impact for the child, which led the child or young person to out of home care.

Rewards come from knowing that you have helped to provide some stability in a child’s otherwise chaotic life. Many foster children later speak of the positive impact that their foster families have had on their lives.

Barnardos carers undergo an assessment process, which includes screening checks and interviews to cover personal history, life experiences and capacity to care for children in need. Initial training using the “Positive Futures Caring Together” training package is also provided. This training package gives an overview of foster care and provides an understanding of children, young people and their families. Ongoing training and support is provided in order to increase skills and assist in managing challenging or difficult behaviours.

Fostering can be permanent or temporary.

Carers can state whether they would prefer to be long term carers, short term or medium care carers or respite carers. Barnardos recruits carers from all cultural backgrounds, singles, couples (with or without children), single parents and same sex couples. The only requirement is that you have the capacity and commitment to share your home with children and young people in need.

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Commonwealth super stalled

By Mike Clancy

Ex-public servant Ern Berry could not believe his eyes when he read that his Commonwealth superannuation pension would not increase in mid-2007. While all other Government funded pensions increased, the weak indexation formula for the Commonwealth and Defence pensions fails its members.

Ern has known public servants retired for 15 years, whose super has gradually fallen so far behind, that they now have difficulty meeting medical and dental costs.

Tony Whelan of Gowrie lives on $15,000 per year. He finds that small increases in his CSS do not keep up with increases in the costs of basic essentials such as food and health services.

John Coleman from the Superannuated Commonwealth Officers’ Association (SCOA) said Government had failed to act on two Senate enquires that had recommended changing the indexation method to bring it in line with other pensions.

As a result, most Australians who have spent their lives serving the nation, receive super pensions of less than $22,000 pa, and fall further behind each year. In many cases this pension supports both members of a couple.

While the Government has refused to address the issue, and Labor is yet to announce its superannuation policy, Greens Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker has promised to help. She said that Commonwealth and Defence force personnel are “entitled to

the same rights as other Australians and their pensions should be indexed in the same way”. If elected, she would “campaign for fair indexation” for this group.

John Coleman said that his members were tired of being ignored and treated as second class citizens and that his members would “vent their anger on election day because they have waited too long for indexation fairness.”

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Ern Berry

Rewarding nursing roles come in all shapes and forms across the ACT With shortages of healthcare staff Australia-wide, we understand how difficult it can be to attract and retain quality-nursing staff for work in the health care industry.

Kate Pickering, ACT Manager of healthcare recruitment agency Drake Medox, understands first hand how difficult finding quality staff can be - especially for health facilities other than hospitals – such as Aged Care & Disability Support facilities. “Working as a Registered Nurse or Enrolled Nurse within a hospital setting is fast paced and filled with new experiences” explains Kate “with lots of other nurses and doctors around, and other types of support.”

“It’s an environment most nurses start their careers in and for many, they do not deviate from. It’s like Kate Pickering, a local Canberrian and how the old saying goes – sometimes a change is as Manager of Drake Medox in Canberra. good as a holiday. But for many nurses – there are stigmas associated with working in other types of healthcare facilities…” says Kate.

When working in a non-hospital environment, staff don’t necessarily have the emergency equipment at hand like in a hospital or the other nurses or doctors as accessible. “But this is what makes it so much more challenging and rewarding” says Kate. “The care of the patients is up to the Registered Nurse, and this is where a nurse’s studies and gained skills and experience is utilised to its fullest. Nursing in this environment is often a lot more than medication and paperwork which is contrary to the belief of many nurses and their attitudes around say aged care nursing“ adds Kate.

According to Kate, nursing in aged care offers many benefits. “For Registered Nurses, because they have so much autonomy and responsibility – working in aged care can fast track their career path to DON level very quickly. Another benefit is salary sacrifice – which can be up to $16k per year – which equates to around $30k per year - which most nurses are unaware about”. And the benefits aren’t just for Registered Nurses, these facilities are keen to attract Enrolled Nurses, Assistant in Nurses, & Student Nurses as they have vacancies across most roles and at all different levels.

MEDOX

Kate too is constantly on the look out for nursing staff – and has worked hard for her clients in and around the ACT to recruit and retain quality healthcare workers. Nationally, Drake Medox supplies staff into 2000+ locations on a casual, contract and permanent basis.

Kate says some of the keys to her success at attracting Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Assistant in Nursing, Student Nurses and Personal Carers is the choice of work agencies can provide – from hospital shifts through to disability support services, youth work through to aged care. “The diversity of work we offer our staff is amazing and for many, the work is just so rewarding” says Kate.

Aside from the choice of work, we also really appreciate all of our nurses and carers who work for us, and are one of the only agencies in Australia to offer an employee rewards program.

Kate says “Let’s face it. Nursing can be a demanding job. This is why we implemented a rewards program – to acknowledge hard work & to say thank you to our valued staff.”

“The flexibility of agency work can offer candidates the opportunity to explore new nursing experiences in new environments” Kate Pickering, Drake Medox – ACT Manager All of our staff earns points each time they work, and have a selection of fabulous rewards to choose from such as movie tickets, retail & travel vouchers, facials, magazine subscriptions....

This helps us retain our best staff. But the benefits don’t stop here. Our nurses have access to regular social events, training, complimentary uniforms and professional support in the form of clinical supervision. “We aim to be an employer of choice for nurses and carers - and a big part of this is providing both the professional and personal support required by nurses and carers who work in what can be a very challenging profession” says Kate.

“I am continuing to grow our pool of healthcare staff and would encourage nurses and carers to learn more about the diverse nursing career options available to them throughout the ACT with Drake Medox”. With agency work, you do have that flexibility to try ‘different’ work environments... “and who knows” adds Kate “you might just try something new and really love it”.

For an interview with Kate and her team, please contact the Canberra Drake Medox office on (02) 6249 7366 or visit us at 35-37 London Circuit, Canberra.

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Volunteer Interpreters needed for Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Regular visitors to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (TNR) will be aware that the wetlands area has been closed for several months.

The redeveloped area will be opening at the Tidbinbilla Extravaganza on March 30th 2008 and will provide new opportunities for visitor experience and education.

The ACT Government has formed a partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia to introduce a Volunteer Interpreter Program at the Reserve. Under this Program, trained volunteers will be positioned at interpretation stations along trails in the new wetland area, offering informal education to visitors. From July 1st, 2008, CVA will also manage the TNR Visitor Centre and Volunteer Interpreter duties will extend to the Visitor Centre.

Volunteer Interpreters will help visitors to better understand and appreciate the natural world. They will have a chance to develop their own knowledge and to share this with others. A uniform and travel allowance will be provided, as well as a range of benefits to

School for Self Knowledge

With each new year we often resolve to improve ourselves; lead healthier lifestyles, a more balanced life, improved relationships and so on. We may set a few new goals and anticipate how the year may unfold. Our happiness, we usually believe, depends on how successful we are in these endeavours, which rely on external factors over which we often have little control.

The School for Self Knowledge have been offering practical guidance on the art of living a a happy and effective life through its introductory nine week course and workshop for over 18 years. The course provides the opportunity for observation and discussion of material, which is drawn from a broad range of literary, artistic and scientific sources, the world’s great cultures and religious traditions, and the wisdom of ancient Sages. Topics include: wisdom, the mind and its functions, the power of attention, Truth, Life, Knowledge, Love and Being.

Susan, a student in the School says, “The course is very practical and I can apply what I learn in everyday situations. I’m more aware of myself, less pre-occupied and more in tune with others. I’m getting more done and feeling less exhausted.”

After completing a recent course Graham has found a renewed sense of purpose: “I always feel so good after each session. They give me some space to regain my bearings and re-orientate myself to what’s important. I’m feeling more connected with people, more productive at work and generally more in control of my life.”

Term One for 20087 commences: • Tuesday 6 Feb at 7:00pm, Hughes Community Centre, Wisdom Street (adjacent to shops) • Wednesday 7 Feb at 7:00pm, Level 3, 29 Bunda Street (off Garema Place), Canberra City • Saturday 10 Feb at 9:30am, Level 3, 29 Bunda Street Each class is approximately 2.5 hours. Enrolments are made at the first class.

The course fee is $150 cash or cheque.

Website: www.schoolforselfknowledge.org or phone 6257 5375.

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December 2007

recognise and reward their commitment including a formal qualification, discounts and social events. Anyone 18 years and over can apply to join the Program but good communication skills and spare time will be essential.

Volunteer Interpreters are asked to make a two-year commitment, to spend at least 144 hours per year volunteering and to regularly participate in training. The initial training will take place over a six-week period during February and March and will be delivered by experts, including TNR staff. There will be quizzes, assessments and a final exam but the aim is to provide applicants with the skills and knowledge to pass these and graduate as a Volunteer Interpreter. Upon successful completion of the initial training, graduates will receive their uniform and badge and can begin volunteering.

Anyone interested in becoming a Volunteer Interpreter is encouraged to attend an Information Session - these will be held regularly until the end of January. Call the Volunteer Manager, Paula Banks, on (02) 6247 7770 or email vip@conservationvolunteers.com.au for details. Be quick - applications for the first intake will close on February 1st and places are limited. Whether you want an active role or just to visit, we hope to see you out there!

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FOR SALE

Floating Floor Boards only $850 7M

HELEN KING

2

Helen King Hearing Centres

10 month old (New $2,000)

Ph: 6247 9639

Hear It Now! Your hearing health questions answered.

This column is about hearing health care.

As trained audiometrists, we invite you to ask about your hearing issues. We’ll answer your questions monthly.

How a toilet seat changed my life

What types of hearing aids are on the market today?

There’s a full range of high-tech hearing aids available, including behind-the-ear instruments, in-the-ear instruments and discreet completely in-the-canal instruments.

There’s one for every type and level of hearing problem.

What’s involved with a hearing test?

You listen to a series of sounds and different frequencies to determine if you’re experiencing hearing loss, and to what degree. We then discuss the technology available and products appropriate to retraining your brain to hear well again. Then we arrange to review your progress and make fine tuning adjustments.

Are some brands better than others?

There are many brands on the market today. We only sell quality products made by reputable companies that have been in the industry over a long time, including WIDEX, Starkey, Siemens, Bernafon, Phonak, GN Resound, and Oticon.

Have a question about your health care?

Mail it to Hear It Now! 1/45 Wentworth Ave Kingston, 2604 or email: enquiries@helenkinghearing.com.au

If you suspect you may have a hearing problem, act now.

Hearing tests are quick and easy. For further details please call Helen King Hearing Centres on 02 6239 4944. hear what you are missing… ...and smile Dickson

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o Clarity_00713

I was reading this magazine a couple of months ago and I came across an add for a toilet seat manufactured by HYUNDAI that would automatically clean a person without toilet paper.’ And it was available from the bidet shop and it could be installed in only a few minutes Well, I have always wanted a bidet in my bathroom, but the cost of having a separate bidet has always held me back.

But being game, I called the bidet shop on their freecall number and was answered by a very helpful gentleman, who introduced himself as Stephen.

He first explained how apart from the comfort factors, of a heated seat and instant warm water the Hyundai bidet had many health benefits as well!

He then proceeded to tell me how this wonderful toilet seats works.

“Stephen explained, once a person has finished their ‘business’ they just press the Bottom or Feminine wash buttons, and the Hyundai bidet will provide a gentle stream of warm water will clean them thoroughly.

Next the inbuilt fan will dry them off completely with warm air without the need of toilet paper” and if you are constipated or have difficulty in doing your motions the Hyundai bidet has special massage spray that will have you going in no time at all.

He then proceeded to tell me that this bidet has also has a heated seat. Also how it just simply replaces my existing toilet seat, and how it can be installed in just a few minutes by any body that could hold a spanner. And if I decided to move to a new home the bidet can be removed from the toilet as easily as it was installed and I could take the bidet with me.

I told him that my husband had arthritis and it would be difficult for him to do this but I might be able to do this Stephen told me not to worry if I have any difficulty putting it on just call him and he would happily talk me through it or he could arrange for one of their installers to do it for me. Well, I bought one and it arrived 2 days later by courier right to my door and they didn’t even charge me for delivery.

I opened the box and read the instructions and in no time at all I had the Hyundai bidet up and running .

Well I wish that I had found this Hyundai bidet seat years ago! I just feel so clean and fresh. Also it has come as such a blessing for my husband as I said he suffers from arthritis and was having difficulties in the bathroom now all he has to do is press one button and he’s clean as a whistle. It’s changed his life. and now 2 of my friends have bought a Hyundai bidet after trying mine I did ring Steven not for help but to thank him for this marvelous machine and to tell him that it was much better than I had imagined So do yourself a favor and go buy this wonderful Hyundai bidet toilet seat, from “THE BIDET SHOP”. Their phone number is 1800 243387 and when you talk to Stephen say hello from Kate (that’s me) So give them a call and improve your life.

Kate Vermeer

www.theword.com.au

60-day return option

60-day return option Private clients, pensioners and veterans welcome Helen King Hearing Centr

(02) 6239 4944 6239 4944 communication is life

*approx *approximate

E enquiries@helenkinghearing.com.au W www.helenkinghearing.c

www.helenkinghearing.com.au

*appr

Dickson - Florey - Kingston - Woden - Queanbeyan

Helen King Hearing Centres communication is life *approx *approximate

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December 2007

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Rebalancing Your Body’s Energy

It’s not the drought, it’s the quality!

The human body runs on energy much the same as an electrical system, we refer to this as the ‘bioelectrical system.

Each year thousands of people in our community experience episodes of asthma, digestive problems, anxiety, back and neck pain, hormonal problems, sciatica, constant headache, stress, fatigue, traumas, depression, addictions, muscular aches and pains and more. These are problems that deeply effect people’s joy and happiness, yet most just take a pain killer to cover up their pain … and some people actually ignore their problem, hoping it will just go away.

The increased cost of fruit and vegetables is commonly attributed to the ongoing drought in Australia. However, this does not give the full picture. Australians are not only eating more fruit and vegetables, they are also demanding better quality and are prepared to pay a premium for it.

Much of the practice of so-called healing today is the suppression of symptoms with drugs, which rarely deals with the cause of the problem.

Does taking antibiotics raise the resistance of the person who was so weak and rundown that the germs in the air found his body fertile soil? Does removing the tumour correct the metabolism that caused cancer to grow in the first place? Does the taking of antihypertensives for high blood pressure correct the malfunction causing the blood pressure to rise? Does giving children drugs to pacify them correct the cause of their poor behaviour? And this is not to mention the potential ‘side effects’.

While there is undoubtedly a time and place for medical care, we must understand its strengths and limitations in order to use it wisely. Swallowing drugs while your general health deteriorates is not the way to live your life. For instance did you know that your spinal cord links your brain to the rest of your body and makes everything work as a ‘system’?

It can be likened to a communication super highway and is able to relay information back and forth between your body and brain.

Many health problems can be averted. But it is never too late! It is a good idea to see what condition your body is in – even if you feel no direct discomfort or pain. The most frightening thing is that trauma or stress can be in your body for years without noticing any effect. If only 10 per cent of your body perceives pain, eventually this can weaken you to the point where you’d begin to develop lowered immunity and resistance to disease.

Mention this article within the next 30 days and you will receive our entire new patient examination, including a 90 minute therapy for only $75. This examination could cost you elsewhere $125. The complete examination and therapy, takes about two hours whilst the actual automatic computer-operated test analyzing 12,000 substance frequencies takes only ten minutes. The therapy is expected to increase wellbeing through awareness, improved performance, increased energy levels and relaxation with aims to lower stress levels.

Quantum Wellbeing Canberra has brought to Canberra the largest medical therapy software package in the world and it is the first clinic of this kind to open its doors in Australia.

For a complete health assessment ring 0419 405 273 to make an appointment.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals that during the period 1997-98 and 1998-99, fruit and fruit products (including fruit juices), consumption increased by 8.3 per cent from 124.7 kg per capita to 135.0 kg. In the same period, imports for oranges and other citrus fruit rose by more than 62 per cent. Consumption of vegetables has shown a steady 9.4 per cent increase over the last decade.

This increase in consumption has been accompanied by an increase in demand for quality. Research by the Western Australia Vegetable and Fruit Program found that 23 per cent of people in their survey reported lack of variety and poor quality as the main barriers to increased fruit consumption and 14 per cent identified these factors as the main barriers to vegetable consumption.

“Four years ago my son, Ryan, was diagnosed as having PKU or Phenylketonuria, a rare inherited metabolic disorder that inhibits the ability to breakdown protein properly in the liver and if left untreated by a strict low protein diet, leads to severe mental retardation”, said Sharon Long, owner of Vegies To Your Door.

She added, “As Ryan’s main source of food is fruit and vegetables, I was determined to provide the best and freshest ingredients for him.”

Ms Long and her husband, Will, spent many weekends at the markets sourcing premium fruit and vegetables rather than buying what they believed to be lesser quality produce in the supermarkets.

“It was fun for a while but as the kids grew, the novelty of the markets wore off and it became more of a chore than something I enjoyed to do”, said Ms Long.

This led them to launch Vegies To Your Door – a home delivery service that delivers high quality fresh fruit and vegetables from the markets direct to customer’s homes or place of business. The fruit and vegetables sourced by Vegies To Your Door are all A grade, and offering home delivery is designed to make premium quality produce available to those who do not want to go to the markets every weekend. More information about Vegies To Your Door can be found at www. vegiestoyourdoor.com.au or visit the Young Living Business Mums Expo on 22 October at KidCity, 25 Kemble Court, Mitchell.

Sharon Long with husband Will, run the Vegies To Your Door service

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New owners & revamp for Fernwood Canberra City!

Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs, the largest women’s only health club in Australia, at Canberra City has had a make-over – and is now better than ever!

According to franchisee Kellie Toohey who has just taken over the Club, the Fernwood philosophy of having a special place for women to enjoy regular exercise to reach their health, fitness and wellbeing goals was the primary reason for the upgrades to the club.

“Fernwood Canberra City has upgraded all cardio equipment which now has its own personal TVs, we have completely moved all areas of the Club, providing members with a spacious state of the art facility, which will position our club as the premium choice for women in the City”, Kellie said.

Fernwood Canberra City will also be offering spray tan, as well as an infra red sauna. The club offers two – three choices of Group fitness Classes over the lunchtime rush five days a week!

By providing a sociable, comfortable and supportive environment, Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs enable women to enjoy physical activity, learn about the importance of good nutrition and embark on weight management support through the Slimplicity program, whilst improving their self confidence, health and wellbeing.

To celebrate the Fernwood Canberra City revamp, sign up during December and you will receive a one month free membership to give to a friend! Ex-members from Fernwood Canberra City can also re-join on their old membership fees for 12 months in December. Corporate Deals are also now available. Members can now use Fernwood Belconnen, Gungahlin and Canberra City Clubs for the one price.

Fernwood Women’s Health Club Canberra City is located at 131 City Walk, Canberra City.

For further information call 6247 7666 or visit the website: www.fernwoodfitness.com.au

Fernwood’s revamped member’s lounge

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Life – a balancing act It is now widely acknowledged that our life and what happens to us on the outside, in our relationships, at work, at home depends on the state of our being on the inside, that is how we think and feel and how we act, whether it be with kindness, selfishness, anger or compassion. This is because all human beings have inside them a ‘subtle system’, which is a blueprint that incorporates all the ways we should conduct ourselves in our lives. Our lives on the outside are a reflection of the condition of this subtle system. If we live in accordance with this blueprint and are able to balance our subtle system then our lives will be happier and more productive.

There are three channels in the subtle body – the left channel, called the Ida Nadi, the right channel, called the Pingala Nadi and the centre channel, called the Sushumna Nadi.

The left channel is the moon side, the feminine side, the receptive side, the intuitive side, the side of the past and of the emotions. When people are operating too much in the left side they tend to become lethargic, depressed, overemotional and disorganised. They can tend to be oppressed by others.

The right channel is the sun side, the masculine side, the side of action, the logical side, the side of the future and of planning. When people are operating too much in the right channel they can tend to become overactive, futuristic, dry and lacking in compassion, rigid, or angry and aggressive and can tend to oppress others. Children with ADHD tend to be right-sided due to the overactivity.

The Centre channel is the present, the channel of growth, of maturity, of inspiration, of integration. People operating in the central channel are assertive rather than aggressive or submissive.

Most people usually swing from the right side to the left and back again. They are not able to be ‘in the present’, which is ‘thoughtless awareness’. When people are thinking it is usually about the past or about the future. Being ‘in the present’ means ‘not thinking’.

It is only after Self-realisation that we can truly be ‘in the present’. Self-realisation is the process by which the Kundalini, the residual life-force in every human being, which resides in the sacrum bone at the base of the spine, rises up through the Sushumna Nadi and enlightens the limbic area, (the part of the brain that controls the autonomic nervous system, which controls our heart beat, our digestion etc. and is concerned with ‘instincts’). It then flows out of the fontanelle bone area at the top of the head to unite with the all-pervading power of the universe.

This process of Self-realisation allows us to achieve total balance for the first time in our lives, and allows us to be ‘in the present’, to be awake and alert but without thinking and without reacting to our environment. It allows us to enjoy the silence, the stillness, the space between the thoughts.

As we begin to meditate and to strengthen this connection after attaining our Self-realisation, we become less reactive to things that happen in our everyday lives. Problems of the right side like anger and road rage automatically disappear.

Left-sided problems of shyness and lack of confidence gradually fade away. In thoughtless awareness our bad habits and negative qualities drop out, and our positive qualities are revealed and enhanced. In addition we can enjoy the peace and the joy that is not affected by whatever is happening on the outside, in our environment.

Sahaja Yoga meditation, developed in 1970 by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, teaches a simple way of achieving Selfrealisation and ‘thoughtless awareness’. Five minutes meditation in the morning and ten minutes at night is enough to start to feel the benefits of this truly life changing technique. According to the wishes of Shri Mataji, Sahaja Yoga is always taught free of charge.

For more information go to www.freemeditation.com.au. You can also subscribe to our free online newsletter which has lots of informative articles called Light of Love. Sahaja Yoga in Canberra holds weekly free meditation classes for beginners at 77 Chewings Street, Scullin on Thursday nights at 7.30 pm and Sunday mornings at 10.30 am; and Woden Health Centre, Corinna Street on Tuesday nights at 7.30 pm.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Aromatic Treasures is a Wholistic Health and Wellbeing Centre where Jeanne Horton offers treatments in Reiki Healing, Massage, Aromatherapy, Aura-Soma Colour Therapy, Skin Care/Make up, Facilitation and Nutritional advice as well as running courses in Aromatherapy, Relaxation/Meditation,

L i f e s t y l e

By Kay Alford

Advertisement

Maybe it’s time to take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing and to let your body/mind heal and reach a state of balance. At Aromatic Treasures we can help you to find some answers to your challenges.

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Colour Therapy, Massage, Natural Health and Reiki.

Essential oils, crystals, jewellery, Neways nutritionals and natural skin care/cosmetic products are also available for purchase.

Gift vouchers and Christmas specials are also available.

A free facial is offered with each massage and if you purchase a skin care/cosmetic product you will also be eligible for a complementary facial make up.

Jeanne on 0419298953 or jrhorton@ netspace.net.au

Remembering ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome On Sunday 18 November the ACT Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Society held a movie screening of the award-winning documentary, ‘I Remember Me’. Over 75 people attended the film and many people were moved by this powerful documentary. “ME/CFS is a real, physical illness that is extremely misunderstood. By holding events like this we hope to generate awareness and understanding about ME/CFS” said the Society’s President Mary Campbell.

What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?

The story below explains this question well.

In 2001 Jane had an experience she would never forget. “I’d driven home after finishing night duty and was standing in my kitchen when I was suddenly hit by such overwhelming nausea and dizziness. I felt utterly drained, as if somebody had sucked every ounce of energy from my body.

It was so sudden; I’d never experienced anything like that before.” The formerly fit and active hospital nurse woke the next morning feeling as if she had been run over by a truck.

Jane visited her doctor who arranged for tests and advised her to return in a few days. By then things were getting worse, “I started to ache all over, suffered headaches, wasn’t sleeping well, and just felt like I was locked in a really bad flu.” But none of the tests ordered by her doctor showed anything wrong and she was advised it would pass.

What followed were agonizing months of tests and specialist consultations. On a couple of occasions she tried to return to work but her headaches got worse, she started experiencing confusion and concentration problems and developed puzzling food intolerances. Eventually she started feeling more exhausted than she’d ever previously known; some days she didn’t even have enough energy for a shower, to read a book or even watch television. At one point she saw a specialist in immunology who could also find nothing wrong. It was 7 months before her doctor eventually told Jane what she was suffering from.

The medical explanation In the past five years research by some of the world’s leading medical organizations has shown ME/CFS is a crippling physical condition affecting people of all ages. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians estimates that as many as 140,000 Australian’s suffer from ME/CFS and

of those it is thought that some 25 per cent are so seriously affected they are permanently bed or housebound. Though some people do recover from the illness the majority achieve a level of functioning well below that prior to onset and a significant proportion don’t recover at all. The disease, once characterized as ‘Yuppie Flu’, is now known to affect all social, economic and ethnic groups and even children as young as 5 years.

About two thirds of sufferers are women.

Patients in Australia have enthusiastically adopted the Canadian Clinical Guidelines for ME/ CFS published in 2003 which more accurately diagnose the illness. To be diagnosed with ME/ CFS patients must experience a persistent ‘flu-like’ illness that includes widespread pain, headaches, sleep disturbance, worsening of symptoms after exertion, significant persistent or recurrent fatigue and a variety of other neurological, immune, gut and endocrine symptoms. The disease isn’t just about fatigue. The new guidelines offer a much more advanced approach to treatment as well as being much clearer on understanding and diagnosing the illness.

Meanwhile Jane reflects on the diagnosis she received all those years ago, “My journey since then has been a lonely and difficult one. There is little if any real support available, even from doctors that are aware of the illness which many aren’t. My symptoms are still severe but fluctuate so I have to very strictly manage what I do and eat or I pay heavily. I still get negative comments from both family and friends, even after all this time.”

The Society’s President Mary Campbell is aware of the stigmas surrounding ME/CFS. She believes the film ‘I Remember Me’ gives insight into ME/ CFS and will enable others to comprehend the realities of the debilitating disease. The society hopes to hold another movie screening in 2008.

You can get support The ACT ME/CFS Society aims to support and help members, provide information to patients, medical practitioners and the public; and promote research. For more information contact the Society, details below.

ACT ME/CFS Society Inc. C/o SHOUT PO Box 717 Mawson ACT 2607 Tel: 6290 1984 Fax: 6286 4475 Email: admin@mecfscanberra.org.au Web: www.mecfscanberra@ org.au

"ROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR LOCAL #APITAL #HEMIST

Your Medicines

0HARMACY 3ELF #ARE (EALTH &ACTS BY *OHN "ELL

Making the most of your medicines Generally medicines work very well, but they only work well if we take them in the most appropriate way.

M

edicines are used to both treat and prevent disease; they increase life expectancy and improve quality of life. However if not used correctly they can be not only ineffective but also cause harm.

This month the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, is promoting ways to use medicines more wisely.

Medication misadventure is estimated to be responsible for between 15 and 22% of all emergency admissions among older Australians. And around 140,000 hospital admissions in Australia are thought to be related to the incorrect use of medicines – too much, too little, interactions or side effects. Research has consistently shown that people with long term medical conditions very often do not take their medicines as prescribed.

This so-called non-adherence is sometimes deliberate. Many people choose to discontinue therapy (or even not to begin in the first place) perhaps because of a lack of understanding of their disease, a lack of belief in the benefit of their treatment, apprehension about side effects, financial barriers and even a poor doctor/patient relationship.

Nevertheless, there are also many of us who are unintentionally non-adherent.

And whether deliberate or not, we do know that non-adherence is associated with poorer health outcomes.

Talk to your pharmacist if you are concerned about your medicines. If you want to stop taking a medicine, check

with your pharmacist or doctor first. If you start a new medicine (prescription or complementary) inform all the doctors in your healthcare team and your pharmacist.

If you select a non-prescription medicine from your local pharmacy, make sure you tell the pharmacist or pharmacy assistant about any other medicines you are taking.

The DVA has produced a pamphlet Your Medicines . . . Your Health. The pamphlet is available from pharmacies providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information. It lists questions to ask your doctor or pharmacist whenever you are prescribed a new medicine – questions such as: • What is the drug name and the brand name of this medicine?

• How does this medicine work and how will I know if it is effective?

• Is it important to take this medicine before or after food?

• What side effects should I be aware of and what should I do if they occur?

• What do I do if I miss a dose and if this happens too often, how can I better remember to take my tablets?

• Will this medicine interact with other medicines I use?

• Are all complementary medicines safe to take with this medicine, and • Can I drink alcohol while using this medicine?

Remember Consumer Medicines Information (CMI) is available for all prescription medicines. Your pharmacist can print the CMI from his or her computer if it isn’t already included in the packet or with the bottle of medicine.

And your pharmacist can make a list of all your medicines for you with their names, the dose and how they work. Your local Capital Chemist can give you more details about this service and others that will help you make the most of your medicines.

Capital Chemists care for the community in many different ways. Of course, we care for our customers but our involvement in the Canberra community goes further. That’s why we have allocated more than $200,000 this year to a variety of community groups and worthwhile causes. Find your Capital Chemist at:

CALWELL

Mon to Fri 8.30am–8pm Sat, Sun & Public Hols

9am-6pm Closed Good Fri, Christmas Day Ph: 6292 8200

KINGSTON

58 Giles Street Mon to Fri 8.30am–7pm Sat 8.30am–4pm Sun 10am–4pm Closed Public Hols Ph: 6295 9146

LYNEHAM CHARNWOOD

The Small Mall Mon to Fri

8.30am–7pm Sat & Sun 9am–7pm Public Hols 9am–5pm Closed Christmas Day, New Years Day Ph: 6258 4949

CHISHOLM

Mon to Fri 8am–7pm Sat 9am–5pm Sun 10am–4pm Closed Public Hols Ph: 6292 2427

CURTIN

Mon to Fri 8.30am–7pm Sat 8.30am–4pm Closed Sun &

Public Hols

DICKSON

Mon to Fri

8.30am–8pm

Sat 8.30am–7pm Sun & Public Hols 9am–7pm Closed Good Friday, Christmas Day & New Years Day Ph: 6248 7684

Wattle Street

Mon to Sat 9am–7pm & Closed Sun Public Hols Ph: 6247 7004

O’CONNOR

Sargood Street Mon to Fri 8.30am–11pm

Sat, Sun & Public Hols 9am–11pm Ph: 6248 7050

PALMERSTON

Mon to Fri 9am–7pm Sat 9am–1pm

Closed Sun & Public Hols Ph: 6241 9710

SOUTHLANDS

Mon to Fri 9am–7pm Sat, Sun & Public Hols

9am–6pm Closed Christmas Day

& Good Fri Ph: 6286 3644

TUGGERANONG

Hyperdome Mon to Thu 8.30am–6pm Fri 8.30am–9pm Sat 9am–5pm Sun & Public Hols 10am–4pm Ph: 6293 1166

HUGHES

Mon to Fri 8.30am–6pm Sat 8.30am–12 noon

Closed Sun & Public Hols Ph: 6281 2581

WANNIASSA

KAMBAH

WODEN PLAZA

Mon to Fri 9am–7pm Sat 9am–5pm Closed Sun &

Public Hols Ph: 6231 7014

WARAMANGA

Mon to Fri 8.30am–9pm Sat, Sun & Public Hols 9am–9pm

Closed Christmas Day Ph: 6231 6446 Mon to Thu 9am–5.30pm Fri 9am–9pm Sat 9am–5pm Sun & Public Hols 10am–4pm Ph: 6282 3960

Mon to Fri 9am - 7pm Sat 9am - 5pm Closed Sun & Public Hols PH: 6288 1334

' 2 % 9 10176

(EALTH -ATTERS

At your Capital Chemist, we know what matters.

WE KNOW WHAT MATTERS

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Help for parents

ParentLine is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday for parents and other people concerned with issues of parenting.

The service aims to enhance the development, health and emotional wellbeing of children by supporting parents and carers and connecting them with the network of services available to families in the ACT and surrounding areas.

ParentLine is a telephone counselling service for parents. We are currently looking for volunteers to work with parents experiencing difficulties and to give them ongoing telephone support.

Working as a volunteer with ParentLine provides a great opportunity to: · gain some practical and supervised experience with clients · gain communication and counselling skills · network with others interested in or working in the area of counselling/family support.

The twelve week training course will commence in February 2008 on Monday nights from 6pm to 9pm.

If you are interested and would like more information please phone 6287 3833.

www.theword.com.au

H e a l t h

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L i f e s t y l e

It’s good to talk

There are ups and downs in everyone’s life; of this we can be sure. We all handle emotions like stress, grief, sadness – as well as happiness – very differently.

Life situations, for example a job redundancy, loss of a loved one or relationship break up, may lead us to think sad and worrying thoughts.

We may think that others do not understand; that they wouldn’t care; we may even think that they think we are ‘silly’ or weak with these thoughts. So we decide to bottle it up, to save face and to be ‘strong’.

Depression and anxiety affecting millions worldwide Your negative thoughts, if left unchecked, may develop and get worse in time.

GARY BARTUZKI DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC, THE TRAVELLING PROSTHETIST FOR ALL YOUR DENTURE NEEDS FULL, PARTIAL DENTURES, RELINES, REPAIRS & ADDITIONS, LARGE RANGE OF MOUTHGUARDS AVAILABLE FOR THE GRAND CHILDREN

Ph: 6925 0549

Teeth Like This?

Gary Will Fix Them!

REGISTERED WITH HEALTH FUNDS & VETERANS AFFAIRS VISITING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE SOON!

HOME VISITS AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT.

Consider this perspective of someone living with depression: ‘Your world slowly changes over time, your confidence erodes away, the pleasures in life disappear and everything starts to look dull and bleak. You sleep in often, you frequently skip work and your appetite slows or stops, not to mention the loss of sleep. You quickly forget or remember why it is you are sad.’

Depression and anxiety may ensue, as indicated by some of the physical symptoms listed above.

You can change your worrying thoughts, help is available: your friends, family, GP or counsellor are but a phone call away, you are not alone.

It’s good to talk, so let it out and feel good inside Expressing your feelings and understanding them is not a sign of weakness. You don’t need to bottle them up; you can ungrit your teeth and hope for the best. People do understand and they care for you.

Open up to a friend, a member of the family or colleague. Talk to someone you trust, someone who will accept and seeks to understand your perspective.

You may be surprised; you may learn more about yourself, and your situation. It’s good to talk, so let it out and feel good inside.

Call Lifeline if you need to speak with someone immediately: 13 11 14

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December 2007

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H e a l t h

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Sheep Shooting for Boredom

L i f e s t y l e

By Adrienne Gross

Underworked, Bored Sick: How workplace boredom affects you (maybe?)

Have you ever wondered where that email sheepshooting game came from? It was probably created by someone who was bored at work. If you ended up playing the game, you might be one of them.

Underwork, in the sense of having literally nothing to do while at work, is one of many causes of boredom and may be just as harmful to employee and employer as overwork.

What would happen if your working day only involved internet ‘research’, reading and sending emails, trawling through some self-guided learning, and stacking papers neatly for the umpteenth time?

It might be fun at first, but eventually leads to boredom. While there are more factors that cause boredom at work – such as personal predisposition, environment, task and situation – the sheer lack of work is a major contributor. According to a survey

by Sirota Consulting LLC in the USA, of more than 800,000 employees at 61 organizations worldwide, those with “too little work” gave an overall job satisfaction rating of 49 out of 100, while those with “too much work” had a rating of 57.

So what? Who are these dissatisfied people, those who spend their day sharpening their pencils rather than their wit? These are the ‘underworked’ or ‘underloaded’ and may be in your own office.

Underload can be qualitative, in which job demands are too simple to adequately use an employee’s skills, or quantitative, in which the employee doesn’t have enough work to fill the work day.

Quantitative underload can happen for a period of minutes, hours, or a day, to longer periods of weeks or even months. Typical industries with occasional quantitative underload include service (retail, hospitality) and administration (reception, accounts), where demand fluctuates unpredictably.

Think of a supermarket cashier who is waiting for a customer to arrive. In a project-based environment such as engineering and research, boredom through underload can be caused by poor planning/ scheduling, too many employees, temporary downturn in demand, and over-qualification for positions.

These underloaded workers may not realise their peril: boredom is not healthy for mind or body.

Studies at the University of Northumbria attribute the lack of stimulation at work as a cause for ‘underload syndrome’ aka ‘bored sick’, resulting in more sick days due to depression, fatigue and headaches. On a physiological level, when the body does not experience rushes of stress, there are no endorphins in the system to provide energy, which then drops the metabolic rate, leading to immunodeficiency.

As for boredom’s effect on the mind, the worker can feel worthless, bitter and dull and may also face resentment from overworked colleagues.

Jamie Travis, an occupational therapist with private practice, nth Degree, sees underload syndrome as a convenient label for a range of non-specific physical and psychological symptoms arising from work conditions. Travis describes the psychological impact of boredom at work causing job dissatisfaction: “The worker may ask themselves ‘Why the hell do I exist here?’, when the job lacks clarity and purpose.”

The overall malaise from monotony thus increases the incidence of recurrent absenteeism and the development of musculoskeletal pain in the future.

These health effects of underload can affect any level of job, as described by Hugh*, an engineer with a doctorate in Telecommunications – physical layer technologies. Hired by an engineering firm to do testing, which was constantly delayed, the firm kept him busy with secretarial work – scanning, printing, binding and word processing, or as Hugh describes: “Basically all the work that no one else wanted to do and the company didn’t want to employ anyone to do it. It made me feel depressed and suicidal. Instead of solving project problems I gossiped, whinged, and surfed the internet for a new job.” Hugh has since escaped his underloaded environment and uses his brain to develop cutting edge technology at a university in Victoria.

Hugh’s ex-employer may have experienced the common consequences of boredom at work, such as absenteeism, worker dissatisfaction, accidents, reduced performance on vigilance tasks, horseplay, and sabotage, as identified by Professor Cynthia D Fisher, industrial psychologist and Head of the Department of Management at Bond University.

Fisher and her colleagues studied enlisted men in the US Marine Corps. Outside of the programmed hours of Marine activity but largely confined to base, some soldiers did not report any boredom at all. Many, however, were bored and dealt with the experience of having “nothing to do” in one of two ways. Some were destructively bored, drinking and

brawling, while others were constructively bored, choosing to go to the gym, read, or enrol in a correspondence course.

Whether employees are marines or mail clerks, the employer must take action to prevent underload, and thus avoid the presence of underload syndrome, which may lead to absenteeism and workplace claims for psychological injury.

Ellen Jackson and Rachel Clements described in InPsych magazine that the average cost of a

psychological injury claim is $27,798 per claim compared with $18,913 for a physical injury claim and the average time off work is 21 weeks compared with 8 weeks for a physical injury claim (WorkCover NSW Statistical Bulletin 2003/04).

If only to save money, what can the employer do about qualitative underload? Fisher recommends that they ensure that workers have background tasks to fulfil, such as improving processes, preparing for meetings or helping another employee. Travis recommends that the company should conduct a psychologically based risk assessment, which is mindful of the health and productivity hazard of underload. A staff survey should measure against

key indicators of job satisfaction, such as role uncertainty, lack of workload control and lack of support in the workplace.

What can an employee do about quantitative underload? It depends on whether the underload is short term (hours or a few days) or longer (weeks to months). The following tips explain how to cope with underload, to avoid underload syndrome.

Short term underload: Clean up your desk and your hard drive and sort your documents into folders Finish any outstanding correspondence Build up social capital with colleagues or clients Go the extra mile for a client or help a co-worker who is overloaded Or you could always go to the ‘Bored at Work’ website www.boredatwork.com Long term underload: Use the time to do some learning: See if your company has on online university and take a course Share your skills with others by coaching/mentoring a less experienced employee Help someone with their job and see if you like it, and take away some of their stress Tell your boss that you can offer the company more, and ask for additional responsibilities You may even need to change careers; if the work is enough to occupy most of the day, and yet you are still bored due to qualitative underload, then you may suit a job that is more congruent with your skills, or where the pace of organisational life is faster.

So if you find that you’re a sheep sharpshooter, you’re not alone. The key is to make the most of the downtime, or move on.

Pet minding– for health and happiness Caring for a pet can do wonders for your health. The problem for many people is they don’t want to be tied down to owning an animal fulltime – or the expense that goes with it.

There are some services where you can ‘rent’ a dog for company, but “Don’t Fret Pet!” is a service that will pay you to mind family dogs when their owners are away.

By joining “Don’t Fret Pet!” as a minder you will be able to offer your home as a suitable, caring environment for a much-loved pooch.

The “Don’t Fret Pet!” team will discuss what types of dogs you wish to mind and how long you’d like to have a visiting dog with you. You only accept bookings that suit you and meet the dog in advance to make sure you like each other.

The owner will bring along food, toys and bedding so all you need to do is love and care for the dog as though they were your own. Secure fencing is a must, of course.

If you would like to apply to become a “Don’t Fret Pet!” minder please call 1300 30 70 21 or visit website www.dontfretpet.com.au

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H e a l t h

How To Be Happy Realize You Deserve To Be Happy It’s a fact – we are way too hard on ourselves. A lot of us deep down think that we don’t deserve to be happy. But being happy is actually a biological necessity for healthy living. The more you laugh, smile and generally feel good, the better your emotional and physical health will be. Happiness creates certain enzymes and chemical changes in our body which are conductive to our health, wellbeing and longevity. Author of ‘The Secret’, Rhonda Byrne, says in her book that to be happy all you have to do is ask and you shall receive.

Start with a smile. Listen to a song which makes you feel like you want to sing along at the top of your voice. Why waste your time being sad when you could be filled with that zingy feeling?

Do What You Love The only decent piece of advice my grandfather ever gave my mother was ‘You may as well get paid for what you love doing anyway’ and he was 100% right. Those who truly love what they do are much less likely to get the 9 to 5 blues.

They wake up in the morning and bounce out of bed, happy to be going to work and ready to get on with it. Sounds impossible? Not so.

If you love singing, teach it or start a band.

Big geek? Get into computers and become IT support. One of the smartest people I know left school before the end of year 10 and his salary now reaches past $100,000 every year, because he’s the best at what he does. And yes,

you guessed it, he’s a professional geek!

We spend a very large amount of our lives at work. Why be miserable when you can enjoy it? Don’t be guided by money either, read anything by Anita Bell or David Bach and they’ll show you that you don’t have to earn a massive salary to end up wealthy. And while we are on the subject of money, it’s not surprising that material goods will not actually help you in your quest for happiness. Sure money makes the world go round and having it makes things easier, but it won’t make you happy unless you’re Mr. Burns.

Find Comfort In Healthy Habits Yes, I know you have heard this before but that’s because there is truth to it. Eating healthily and exercising makes a massive difference to your state of mind. I’m one of those people who have to exercise or I get cranky, and even something as simple as a 10 minute walk in the morning can do wonders. So go on, get out there, you don’t even have to walk fast. Take your time, breathe in the fresh air and soak up the scenery of one of the most natural cities in Australia. Aim to spend a bit of time in nature every day, and to do this Canberrans only have to step outside their front door.

I find my habits comforting. The little daily rituals I do every morning set me up for the best possible start to the day. Want my secret?

Juices. No, really, fresh juices are the easy way to be healthy! If you can drink down two sticks of celery, two stalks of spinach, two carrots, one apple and one orange every morning that’s over half of your daily fruit and veg requirements.

Done. Combine that with Heidi Klum’s rule of eating something green with every meal and you’re set.

I know I might be labelled a traitor to my

L i f e s t y l e

Try Meditating Having peace of mind is a really good feeling and nothing keeps the mind quiet like meditation. Whether it’s in the form of yoga and a salute to the sun in the mornings or 10 minutes stretched out on your bed at the end of the day, any form of meditation will make a big difference.

Start with a big stretch to get all tension out of your muscles and take deep breaths. Gently push away any thoughts that come into your head. You can imagine yourself in a peaceful place or just lie there and breathe. Put on some of that hippy rainforest music too – it actually does help.

By Ilana Pender Rose

Happiness. All of us want it; we know when we feel it and are even more aware of it when we don’t. But how does one achieve happiness?

What’s the secret? These twelve steps make a good start.

&

gender for saying this but I don’t get diets.

Why on earth would I want to deprive myself of eating pasta? I drink water; eat my veggies and exercise so what’s the problem? Aim for happiness and your weight will follow. Best of all if you are focusing on being healthy to be happy the habits you develop will last.

Laugh Long and Often The more you laugh the better you will feel.

Oh, and you’ll live longer too! Laughing releases endorphins (the feel good chemicals) into your brain. Pets, especially dogs, are fantastic for this. Eddie Murphy comes in a close second for me, followed by Carl Baron and the only man who could voice the genie – Mr. Robin Williams.

Be Grateful For Something Every Day Coffee! I know I’m always grateful for coffee in the morning. I’m grateful when I get all green lights on the way to work and I love that I can dance around my living room to ‘Hakuna Matata’ whenever I feel the need. I’m sure my neighbours are grateful for the amusement this affords them too. See what I’m getting at here? Excellent. So go on and be grateful for something right now. Friends are a big one.

And having lived in Sydney for a few years I’m constantly grateful that I can always get a decent kebab when I want one!

The Right People Why waste your energy on friendships that are one-sided or on people you don’t feel truly good being around? My best friend is a small bouncy woman with a quick tongue and an innate sense for how I work. Being around her is effortless and that’s the way it should be. Of course all friendships take work, but the more time you spend with people who make you feel good, the happier you will be.

‘Friends are the family we choose for ourselves’ so make it a good one.

Just Smile Your mood will follow. Seriously. It’s hard to be sad when you’ve got a big stupid grin plastered on your face.

Love Forgive me for being cheesy but love and happiness go hand in hand. They are interlinked and inseparable. And part of loving someone is being selfless. I love buying presents for people that I know they will use and enjoy, and wrapping Christmas gifts has to be one of my favourite things to do. Love is something humans need to be happy. Period.

So do something nice for your family, wash up for your mum or buy your sibling their favourite chocolate bar on the way home from class. Small things make a big difference.

Affirmations I’m telling you, the hippies have it right. If you tell yourself often enough that something is true, it becomes so. There’s no reason the same principle can’t be applied to happiness. Every day when you wake up be grateful for seeing another sunrise and tell yourself that you will have a fantastic day. And you will. Sure, life will get you down sometimes, but what makes the difference is how quickly you bounce back from that.

Chase your dreams Ever seen someone living their dream? They glow from the inside out. They know that they are where they should be and that when it’s all over they will have no regrets. So get out and start chasing yours, no one else is going to do it for you.

Write down what you want and figure out baby steps to get there. Write an affirmation and say it to yourself every day. Doing this creates a strong sense of belief and once you’ve got that there will be no stopping you!

Find Your Key The key to happiness is individual. For some people it is doing work that they love, for others it might be just listening to music. For me, it’s Disney. I’m the most tragic Disney fan you will ever find and a good mood for me is just a DVD away. When I can’t get to them I recite them to myself and while you may be thinking “Oh My God this chick its nuts”, remember that next time you’re stuck in rush hour traffic feeling the burning desire to create a new swear word, I’ll be in the car over shaking my butt to ‘Be Our Guest’ and singing at the top of my voice.

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H e a l t h

Finding the Right Personal Trainer Match As the warm weather is upon us, many of you may be inspired to start exercising to get ready for the summer. Some may want to fit into the swimsuit getting ready for the beach; others may want to look good walking down the aisle for the spring wedding! The warm weather and daylight savings seems to motivate people to take up more physical activity. Some of you may be thinking about hiring a personal trainer to assist you in meeting your health and fitness goals. There are many personal trainers here in Canberra; but how do you know whom to call!?

It is important to ask the following questions of the potential personal trainer as you are shopping around. The reality is that you are trusting a stranger to work with you and your body to suit your needs and achieve your goals.

As with any important decision or purchase, you need to do some due diligence on your service provider.

How long have you been a personal trainer?

This is important for it gives you an indication of their experience as well as a point of reference for their fees.

How many personal training clients do you have on any given week?

Not many people think about this. If a trainer is proud to say they have 30-40 personal training clients, I would quickly ask if that is all one-toone training. Some trainers will say they have many clients but may offer group training which will not be as time intensive as one-onones. If a PT claims to have over 30 one-onone clients, that would really equate close to 50 hours a week including client preparation time. Do you want to be client one or client 30?

What are your qualifications?

If one claims to be a ‘Personal Trainer’ in Canberra, s/he must be registered as a Certificate IV in Fitness (Personal Trainer) with Fitness Australia (FitnessACT). You may also see people marketing themselves as personal coaches. Also ask what other continuing education and related certifications they have.

Once you find this out, you can better assess if their qualifications meet your needs and standards.

Where did you do your training? How long was the course? Was it online or face-toface?

There are many training providers locally and nationally delivering education in fitness and personal training. The trend is to offer education online or by correspondence.

Though there have been no studies showing the reliability and validity of the quality of online training in the fitness industry, there has been a class action lawsuit in the United States where 18 graduates took the training agency to

court. They claimed the company offering the correspondence personal trainer certification program had defective training materials and delivered inadequate instruction. The trainers claimed that they posed a health risk to the public if they were to use methods taught in the program. Consumers must be aware of the background experience and education of the trainer. According to the ACT Fitness Industry Code of Practice, ‘An employee is qualified to provide a fitness service if the employee is registered by Fitness Australia in the state or territory in which the employee resides and provides service at a level appropriate to that registration’.

What sort of clients do you train? Are there certain clients you like to work with?

Personal trainers should receive a broad base of education in order to train low to medium risk clients.

At the beginning, most PTs will train anyone who rings as they are building their client base. After a couple of years, they should develop a few specialty areas as the amount of information to keep abreast with current training protocol for everyone is overwhelming.

Rarely can a PT be able to cater to every client. Those who know their capabilities are more than happy to refer you to someone who may be able to service you better. For example, some trainers have become specialists in older adults, pre- and post- natal, obese clients or corporate health.

What do I have to do in my initial assessment?

What is the basic process you go through in establishing a program for a client?

According to the ACT Fitness Industry Code of Practice, all potential clients must complete a pre-exercise questionnaire, commonly known as a ‘PAR-Q’. Sports Medicine Australia developed a pre-exercise screening system which was modified from the American College of Sports Medicine. It is designed to provide a level of guidance so that those who are beginning regular physical activity are directed in an appropriate way to increase their safety and help them enjoy the experience. In order to assist in creating a client-centred exercise program, PTs should take your blood pressure, measure height, weight, girth, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance and some form of cardiovascular endurance.

The LAST question you ask is their pricing

and packages. Why? The previous questions have qualified and quantified what they should be charging. Most personal trainers that have over 10 years experience, are qualified and/or certified, and registered with Fitness Australia usually can justify charging $70-$80 per hour. Specialists and those with additional qualifications may charge up to $100 per hour.

&

L i f e s t y l e

By Dr Dion Klein

Like any consumer purchase, shop around.

Ask for referrals from people who have used personal trainers in the past. Just as agencies interview potential employees, you should interview your potential personal trainer to make sure you find a good match.

Dr Dion Klein is CEO of Healthy Worksites & The WISE Academy

13 Day Tasmania Tour Today we head out to Port Arthur for the day where we will join a short guided tour to learn how hundreds of convicts lived, worked and died under threat of the lash and an experimental isolation system that drove many to madness. We will then take a short harbour cruise before having the time to explore the museum, study centre, restored houses, ruins and other buildings on the site, before making the return trip back to the Hobart hotel for the night.

Tomorrow we will suffer a sample of the sweet delights of Cadbury Claremont Chocolate Factory during a morning tour and witness the creating of products that have made them world famous. After our tasteful tour we will head to the Tahune Forest Airwalk at the junction of the Picton and Huon Rivers, where we will experience walking among the treetops. From here we are able to see the most fantastic views of the forest and its rare fauna and species (some only found in Tasmania, I love those devils).

Next day we head up the beautiful Mt Wellington for breathtaking views of Hobart and it’s surrounds, we have a little visit at the markets for some unique shopping. Next day we leave pretty Hobart for the West Coast Wilderness Railway and a train ride to Strahan.

I am running out of space here as there is so much to enjoy!! Please visit the website (www. bronzewingtours.com) or call Tyne or Tabatha on 02 4681 9432 to find out more about the end of the tour which includes, a Gordon River Cruise and a visit to the West Coast Heritage Museum, walk amongst the trees on a boardwalk to see the view of the Pencil Pine Waterfalls at beautiful Cradle Mountain then head up to Somerset, then fun stopovers at the “Nut” and the Lactos Cheese Factory.

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A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E N T

REVIEWS BY RAMA GAIND Year: 2005 Rating: MA15+ Stars: Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush, Noni Hazelhurst, Tony Martin Length: 85 minutes Director: Neil Armfield Distributor: Madman/AV Channel

Gut-wrenching as it is, watching this film about two heroin junkies is a rewarding experience.

In the title role, Candy (Cornish) with her indefinable, don’t-touch-me air, has a magnetic quality which compels as you see her getting dragged into heroin abuse by her user boyfriend Dan (played to perfection by Ledger).

This is an amazing love story which takes you on an emotional

rollercoaster as the couple rapidly abandon their values from petty theft to prostitution.

This powerful piece stands out because it neither moralises nor glamorises the drug issue. Instead, it concentrates on the love story, focusing on the realities that are enough to scare everybody. other casting is great with Rush as the couple’s mentor Casper and Martin and Hazlehurst and Candy’s helpless parents.

Adapted from the autobiographical novel by Luke Davies, the movie is striking enough and speaks for itself so the special features including interviews with director Armfield and Davies and deleted scenes are an added bonus.

Making his transition from theatre, Armfield has pulled off a commendable coup. His technique of allowing silence, instead of dialogue, to create emotion is particularly effective.

Leonard Maltin’s 2008 Movie Guide Published by Penguin Books 1627pp $24.95

Every film buff should have this reference book in their library. It’s almost like an annual ritual: Maltin keeps churning out these thick volumes and we gain knowledge about the world of cinema.

This all-purpose guide features more than 8000 DVD and 13,000 video listings and in excess of 400 new entries.

Together with an updated index of leading directors and performers, procedures for buying and renting DVDs and videos and code rating, you will also enjoy reviews of little-known sleepers, foreign films, rarities and camp classics.

It’s a benchmark guide that’s had many changes, corrections and additions made to it with a view to making it current and accurate.

The laborious task by an enthusiastic team of collaborators has ensured that the latest handbook pays handsome dividends.

Maltin finds this Herculean task rewarding because it gives him a “chance to call people’s attention to worthwhile films that somehow slip through the cracks”.

Along with informing readers, he hopes it will lead to people seeing such worthwhile films as The Lookout, Sweet Land, Boynton Beach Club, Driving Lessons, The Secret Life of Words, The Namesake, Miss Potter and The Painted Veil to name a few. His favourite film of 2006 was Little Children.

Among the interesting anecdotes is one in which he recognised a supporting cast member in Catch a Fire as Marius Weyers – a South African actor who starred in the runaway sensation The Gods Must Be Crazy in 1981. Weyers also had a small role in Blood Diamond.

Not only will this comprehensive book make an ideal Christmas gift, but it’s also perfect for many a trivia night!

Year: 2006 Genre: Comedy Stars: Shane Jacobson, Eve von Bibra, Ronald Jacobson, Ian Dryden, Chris David, Jesse Jacobson Length: 104 minutes Producers: Clayton Jacobson, Rohan Timlock Writers: Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson Director: Clayton Jacobson Distributor: Madman/AV Channel

This warts-and-all unconventional mockumentary about a portaloo plumber won Australian hearts and earned a best actor AFI award for Shane Jacobson who plays Kenny Smyth.

An improbable (and unsung) hero, Kenny installs portable toilets at events and festivals with his crew from Splashdown (an apt name).

However, it’s not all hard work as he has a backstage pass to the town’s best functions. The trials and tribulations of his business will tweak your interest and you will be amazed at the way he

artfully re-arranges his commitments to fatherhood, emergencies and sewage.

There is not much of a storyline, but it’s hilarious listening to Kenny elaborate on the plumbing and septic crisis. His laidback honesty, coupled with comical anecdotes, sees him asking all the right questions including will there be spicy food or curry served at the function? Explicit tales of the effects on your tummy are inevitable!

An eternal optimist, Kenny is keen to help - as witnessed with an incident on a plane enroute to a convention in the US and landing a multinational contract.

This production is very much a family affair: developed from a successful short film, it is co- written by Shane and Clayton, and their father, Ronald, also makes an appearance.

The film is shot entirely on location in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney and Nashville, Tennessee in the US. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

THE VIKINGS GROUP SUPPORTS THE SALVOS

Dbspmt!jo!

Upxo!Qbsl U Sunday 16 December at Tuggeranong Town Park 5pm – Children's Activities 6.30pm – Pre - Carols Entertainment Csjoh!b!qjdojd ps!bwbjmbcmf!gps!qvsdibtf!xjmm!cf!tbvtbhf!tj{{mf-!jdf!dsfbnt-!tpgu!esjolt!boe!ipu!esjolt/

Ph: 0408 966 173

Epo(u!njtt!uif!gsff!bdujwjujft-!dbspm!tjohjoh-!Tbmwbujpo!Bsnz!cboe-!ujncsfmt-!kvnqjoh!dbtumft-! gbdf!qbjoujoh-!cbmmppot-!hmptujy-!gbsn!bojnbmt!boe!qpoz!sjeft/

<&'-.( FjVcijb >YZVh

7pm - 9pm – Carols with Host Guy Sweeting

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Rodrigo Y Gabriela return to thrill Australian audiences again Leno & Craig Ferguson.

To cap it off, the pair have recently been nominated for a “Most Original Artist”, AKA an MTV Leftfield ‘Woodie’ award at the upcoming 2007 MTV Woodies. Nominated alongside Klaxons, CSS and the Knife, the award highlights the best of the genre-busters – artists that come out of left field, and we’re still not sure what section of the record store to find them in.

Ireland long ago embraced the phenomenon that is Rodrigo y Gabriela and in the US they are now a household name. They sold out five stateside tours in 2006/2007, and their songs ‘Tamacun’and ‘Diablo Rojo’ have been playlisted on numerous influential US radio stations.

Their current set includes everything from jazz standards, covers of Metallica’s ‘Orion’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ plus a host of world music jaw droppers and a few surprises which feature their unique blend of Spanish guitar, Latin rhythms, heavy metal and jazz.

Ireland’s ex-pat Mexican acoustic guitar duo, the sensational ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ are returning to Australia in March 2008, after stunning audiences here in 2006 on their first tour.

The tour will include performances at the East Coast Blues & Roots music festival, and the pair will continue to promote their recent self-titled album which features many of the blistering songs played in their live set on Spanish guitars.

‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ have been one of the great word of mouth success stories of recent times. They’ve been spurred on by steady touring, knock out festival spots, quality press reviews, radio support; and UK TV appearances on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ and more recently, the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage and in the US Letterman,

Valley FM’s Valley FM’s Board and announcers wish

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A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E N T

‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ are a must see experience for lovers of incredible live music. As a recent New York review stated, “Stunning guitar duo Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero burst through New York, bringing a Latin fervor and warmth to the bitterly cold, stormdrenched city.” (JamBase)

Sydney Wednesday 26th March – Enmore Theatre www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 Melbourne Thursday 27th March – The Forum Tickets On Sale Monday 17th December Also appearing at West Coast Blues & Roots Festival East Coast Blues & Roots Festival and POINT NEPEAN A Musical Experience

you and your family a safe and happy Christmas/New Year. If you’re staying in town be sure to tune in to Valley FM 89.5 or surf to our website at www.valleyfm. com for more information and our program guide. We broadcast all genres of music and local news, sport and information.

Valley FM 89.5 is Tuggeranong’s own community radio station, on air 24/7, since 1999, and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

If you’re aged between 10 and 90 and would like to become a radio announcer, why don’t you join Valley FM 89.5 and get on air with your own radio show – no experience necessary. Call Valley FM’s President, Chris Moy, on 0417 752 494, 6292.0332, or e-mail: valleyfm895@optusnet.com.au.

Merry Christmas to all.

Rotary District 9710 Australian Rotary Health Research Fund

announcing

Valentines Gala Dinner and Ball 2008

t me ner r u Go e Din s our C 3 p

5 7 $

p

Hellenic Club Phillip

s nk i r d th out wi ough thr

7.30 pm for 8.00 pm Friday 15 February 2008

Don’t miss out ~ organize your tables now, for the best value event of its kind in Canberra.

Supporting the health of all Australians through research, with over $15 million already donated.

• Fabulous Music • Fantastic Raffles • Lucky Door Prizes • Silent Auction

Especially for the Young at Heart SUPPORT ROTARY’S OWN HEALTH RESEARCH CHARITY

Why not support our efforts and have a ball as well?

Contact: Ken Stone District Chairman ARHRF: Ph: 02 6255 9732 or marganken@bigpond.com

www.arhrf.org.au

BY AUSTRALIANS FOR AUSTRALIANS

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The Spectacular showcases true, traditional Chinese art and culture. Through stunning background scenery, superb costumes, celestial singing, and sublime choreography, the Chinese Spectacular is an expression of pure truthfulness, harmony, and beauty. The music is a unique combination of western orchestral The Chinese Spectacular is coming back to Australia in April 2008, with Canberra and traditional Chinese instruments—it hosting shows on 10-12 April. The Spectacular is also travelling to Sydney, Brisbane, conveys the joy of resplendent sound textures crafted by divine beings and handed down Melbourne and Adelaide. from heaven. The true spirit of ancient Chinese culture is captured in this performance; China’s The Chinese Spectacular will transport you The New York based Divine Performing history comes to life, at once entertaining, into an incredible, ancient land; the land of the Arts Troupe, a celebrated assembly of Chinese inspiring, and uplifting. true China. It features Chinese classical dance, dancers, singers, musicians, and performers, costumes inspired by ancient Chinese scrolls, first introduced this wonderful event to Helen Musa, former arts editor of Canberra and music that blends techniques from the Australia in March 2007, as the Chinese New Times, expressed her captivation with the West with melodies from the East.

Year Spectacular. It toured five cities and put Spectacular, saying that there is something on twelve shows. In 2007, only one show was in it for everyone. Ms Musa said “you can’t originally planned in Canberra. Due to popular go past the costuming and dancing in the demand, however, another performance was show”, acknowledging that the philosophy and organised. Both were full-houses, and the influences from the Buddhist tradition were Spectacular was a hit in Canberra. April 2008 “extremely interesting.” will see even more performances hosted in the Canberra Theatre.

Ms Musa said she understood that the show touched on many different levels and said for China was once called the land of divine. her it had been most effective. “Not just the In ancient China, every part of society, from eyes, not just the ears, but on the heart and emperors, to scholars, to farmers, lived in soul,” she said. harmony with heaven. And in turn, heaven bestowed upon China the gifts of its culture, The Chinese Spectacular burst onto the philosophy, painting, music, and dance. Sadly, scene in 2004 with seven shows in five cities. since the 1950s, and especially during the Each year it has grown in scale and popularity.

Cultural Revolution, much of this divine culture In 2007 the Divine Performing Arts Troupe has been lost under communist rule. joined forces with New Tang Dynasty Today, a revival of these lost traditions has Television to bring the show to new artistic begun, with New Tang Dynasty Television heights. Touring 32 cities in four continents, (NTDTV) and the Divine Performing Arts they brought traditional Chinese performing Troupe guiding the way. The Chinese Spectacular arts to the world stage. In 2008 the Divine is leading the renaissance of true Chinese culture, Performing Arts Troupe will tour the world bringing back the artistic traditions and values once again, this time going to more than 50 that made China a divine land. cities, putting on over 120 performances.

Tickets are on sale now through Canberra Ticketing (02-6275 2700, www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au).

For more information about the Divine Performing Arts Troupe and NTDTV’s cultural events, please visit www.divineperformingarts.org and shows.ntdtv.com.

WIN TICKETS TO THE CHINESE SPECTACULAR! To enter just just visit www.theword.com.au You will have to Register then hit ‘Submit Content’ and write your contact details then hit ‘Submit’. Good Luck!

Civic Square • Monday 31 December free family concert 7.30pm till late fireworks at 9pm & midnight alcohol free event for details call 13 22 81

events.act.gov.au

GREY14748

The Chinese Spectacular coming back to Canberra

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Wayfarers Australia presents:

Kelly Women – A New Folk Opera

The Street Theatre – Street 1 Season 13-20 December

Written by Cathleen Meggitt

13-15 & 19-20 December @ 7.30pm

Directed by barb barnett

15 December @ 2pm

Musical Direction by Judy Clingan

16 December @ 4pm

ARTSOUND

AUDIO SERVICES

“To avenge his mother’s wrongful conviction was seen as reasonable and just, the cornerstone of the Ned Kelly legend.

Performed within the backdrop of an Australian pub, filled with the melodies that carry their tale comes the story of the women behind the legend that is Ned KELLY. Ellen, Maggie and Kate rough Irish settlers making a living in a hard country were unpopular and unwanted struggling in the unforgiving Victorian country against the tyranny of the colonial authorities and the attitudes that drove them into legend.

The families real troubles began when Ellen Kelly was arrested for the supposed shooting of Constable Fitzpatrick, later dismissed from the police force as ‘a liar and a larrikin’; Fitzpatrick continually persecuted Kate Kelly

and when Ellen discovered he had assaulted Kate, she wounded Fitzpatrick whilst threatening him with a shovel. Wanting to avoid repercussions, Ellen tended Fitzpatrick’s wounds, fed him, gave him something to drink and sent him on his way, with an explicit understanding that “no more would be said”.

Fitzpatrick returned to the police station with a different story which involved an ambush by the soon to be infamous Ned Kelly, who was 400 miles away at the time. Ellen Kelly sentenced by Judge Redmond Barry to three years in goal, with a breastfeeding infant, for attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick and the legend unfolds.

“Let the hand of the law strike me down if it will, but I ask that my story might be heard and considered. If my life teaches the public that men are made mad by bad treatment, and if the police are taught that they may not exasperate to madness men they persecute, my life will not entirely be thrown away. Ned KELLY 125 years of neglect…the women’s story must be told!

For professional audio restoration and preservation including the straight transfer to CD from reel tapes, cassettes and conversion of your old LP’s, 45s, 78s and DAT.

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE For more information call us on 6295 7444 or visit the website www.artsound.com.au

Are you looking for a unique and thoughtful gift ?

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29 Get Published - Upload your Articles @

December 2007

Rock School kids shake up Canberra in the summer holidays Music For Everyone presents ROCK SCHOOL A holiday workshop with a difference for youth aged 11-16 years Tuesday 29 January – Saturday 2 February 2008 2pm-5pm

School’s in for young rock musos this summer at Music For Everyone’s ROCK SCHOOL holiday workshop. About 30 young people aged between 11 and 16 years will have the chance to spend the last week of their school holidays fine-tuning their skills on electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals, with the expert guidance of experienced Music For Everyone tutors and professional Canberra band players.

“Last year’s inaugural Rock School was a tremendous success. The level of both talent and technique the bands demonstrated by the end of the week was just amazing” says Music For Everyone’s Artistic Director Vivienne Winther.

The workshop is happening at the historic Ainslie Arts Centre, formerly the Ainslie Public School, where there’s plenty of room for bands to rock.

Interested youth will need to have some experience playing their rock instrument or singing, as this workshop is not for complete beginners. By the end of the first session the tutors will have assessed the participants’ skills and interests, and divided the group up into six bands. The busy workshop schedule features several intensive sessions on each person’s main instrument, plus the chance to try a new one as well. All participants will also receive some vocal training from a professional contemporary singing tutor to help them keep

www.theword.com.au K i d s

their young vocal chords healthy.

“Basic percussion and vocal skills will be taught to everyone,” says workshop leader Jim Sharrock of Canberra band Dubba Rukki.

“Good band members need to be versatile and able to support each other on vocals & percussion, so this a great chance for young players to expand their rock band skills.”

Each day the program includes jam sessions playing together in their bands, with the tutors mentoring the groups. By Friday the bands will perform for each other, and at the end of the workshop on Saturday 2 February at 4.45pm, the participants will give a short showcase performance for family and friends.

And on Sunday 3 February, there will be a fullon outdoor performance by the Rock School bands at the National Museum of Australia.

But Rock School doesn’t end there. Several bands will go on to perform at major gigs in Canberra’s National Multicultural Festival in February. At the 2007 Festival, two bands performed in teeming rain to an enthusiastic audience that waited around for several hours for the weather to clear. When it didn’t, the bands went on anyway and their fans loved it.

In 2008, there’ll be more bands performing several times at the Festival, so fingers will be crossed for better weather.

Music For Everyone also hopes to assist the bands to stay together in 2008, by providing some mentoring and rehearsal space, plus the opportunity to perform at other events.

“This is a really exciting project that has lots of possibilities for ongoing development,” says Vivienne Winther. “We hope Rock School will one day become a permanent feature of our regular term-time program, in addition to being a great holiday experience for Canberra’s youth.”

EVENT SUMMARY Rock School Fun summer holiday activity for ages 11-16 Do you play in a band? Do you want to play in a band? School’s in this summer for young rock musos aged 11-16 years at Music For Everyone’s ROCK SCHOOL. Enjoy a fun week of afternoon workshops in electric lead guitar, bass guitar, drum-kit, and vocals.

Get expert tips on playing rock music, plus great jam sessions together as bands, with

professional band players as your coaches. At the end of the workshop, participants will give a short showcase performance for family and friends, plus some lucky Rock School bands will go on to play outdoor gigs in February at the National Multicultural Festival! Rock School will be held at the Ainslie Arts Centre in Braddon (the old Ainslie Public School), where’s there’s plenty of room for bands to rock. A great way to spend a week of your summer holidays. Please note: some experience playing your instrument or singing is required, this is not for complete beginners. Visit our website www.mfe.org.au for more info and to download your Rock School enrolment form.

WHERE: Ainslie Arts Centre (the old Ainslie Public School) corner Elouera St & Donaldson St Braddon ACT WHEN: Tuesday 29 January - Saturday 2 February 2pm-5pm WHO: youth aged 11-16 years with some experience playing their rock band instrument or singing COST: $165 CONTACT: Music For Everyone 02 6230 7190 info@mfe.org.au More info: www.mfe.org.au

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Star Signs ARIES: March 20th - April 20th

What a magical month! So many places to see, and so little time! You’ll need to FIND the time!

Five heavenly bodies will be brightening your long-distance travel sector, all in fire signs like yours, and you will have the enthusiasm, time, and even the money to pack and go. You’ll be restless to experience something new, so there’s no reason to hold back. Go any time after the new moon December 9. Can’t get away? Then people may come to you, by phone or in person!

TAURUS: April 20th - May 21st You have sharpened your pencil and have a good idea of the money you need to make certain dreams come true. What would that be, dear Taurus? Do you want to buy a house or condo? Pay for grad school? Start or expand your own business? Live abroad? This month, the world is your oyster! If you can dream it, you can do it!

GEMINI: May 21st - June 21st

CANCER: June 21st - July 22nd This will be a busy month at your workplace, perhaps because the nature of your job is seasonal.

Whatever you do for a living, it appears that throngs of customers will appear at your door or that your boss will have piles of work for you to do or manage. Prepare to be busier than Lucille Ball and her friend Ethel in the chocolate factory, as you try keep up with the ever-faster roll of the assembly line.

LEO: July 22nd - August 23rd This month is simply bursting with romantic potential! With FIVE super-friendly power planets filling your house of true love in the first half of December, you are about to embark on an enchanting phase, much like the Owl and the Pussycat who alighted their own pea-green boat of love. Jupiter, the planet of happiness and expansion, will see to it that you have a sensational phase to remember this month.

VIRGO: August 23rd - September 22nd Even though the holidays are upon you, December shines for all sorts of favourable domestic and real estate decisions. You may buy or sell property, acquire beautiful new furniture, or decide to remodel the kitchen.

Holiday time could be a hard time to think about these things, but if you can address these and other domestic needs from December 9 to 17, you’ll find options, bargains, and ideal solutions that you would never dream possible. This is literally the best time in over a decade to address these matters, but you will have to hurry! The door is closing!

Get ready for a flurry of communication and more than just a few visits from friends, neighbours, and family. Quick, short travel will certainly be part of the picture too this month, so to maximize your holiday experience, you’ll need to be super-organized. There will be lots of details to keep in mind, so promise yourself that you won’t write anything on the back of an envelope but rather in a notebook where you can access the data when you need it.

SCORPIO: October 23rd - November 22nd Scorpio is known to be savvy about money, but this month you prove the point in a big way. Five celestial bodies will crowd in your earned income sector, so it’s clear you’ll be raking in cash faster than a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas. The difference is that you won’t win your stash but will get it the old fashioned way - by earning it.

You’ll prove you have all the know-how to bring in the bacon, giving you plenty of reason to be proud of all that you accomplish now.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov 22nd - Dec 21st What a glorious month! Sometimes everything comes together to create a near-perfect set of conditions for achieving a dream - this is precisely that kind of month for you!

The headline news this month is that on December 11, Jupiter will conjoin Pluto, a rare, once in 13-year event that always spells wild financial success. Remarkably, this time these two luminary powerhouse planets will link in your sign of Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN: Dec 21st - Jan 20th Have you ever watched a gold medal Olympic athlete just prior to putting on her performance? Winners are never distracted. They tend to spend time alone, centering themselves, going through their upcoming performance in their mind, imagining every detail of their routine or race so that they can recreate in real life that perfect performance that exists in their mind.

Preparation matters, for gold medals are won by millimeters.

AQUARIUS: Jan 20th - Feb 19th Do wishes come true at this magical time of the year? I say yes, especially if you are an Aquarian. If you could only see your chart at the start of the month! Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, is about to leave Sagittarius after a year’s visit to your 11th house of your deeply held hopes and wishes. To wish him well as he plans to leave on December 18, other planets have raced to this constellation to create a gorgeous celebration and series of beautiful fireworks. You can have lasting benefits from this cosmic party, so listen up.

PISCES: February 19th - March 20th In this magical month, you will see your career explode with all kinds of amazingly good news! You’ve worked long and hard, and now, as reward, everything appears to reach critical mass, allowing you to rise to a whole new level of influence. Respect and admiration will follow you. Dear Pisces, you’re on your way - and all this will come with a vastly improved financial picture, too. Look your best, because all eyes will be on YOU. You may even be asked to meet the press!

A grandmother is giving directions to her grown grandson, who is coming to visit for Christmas. “You come to the front door of the apartment complex. I am in apartment 14T. There is a big panel at the door. With your elbow, push button 14T. I will buzz you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right. Get in, and with your elbow, hit 14. When you get out I am on the left. With your elbow, hit my doorbell.” “Grandma, that sounds easy, but why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow?” “You’re coming empty handed?”

Newfie goes to WA to seek his fortune, and after a couple of years is doing very well for himself. His brother calls from Sydney to tell him their father is very ill and probably won’t survive. “Well, if he dies I’ll pay for the funeral; the best of everything, spare no expense, just send me the bill,” says Newfie. Two weeks later he gets a bill in the mail for $7500.00 He sends the cheque off to his brother. The following week he gets a bill for $75.00 He sends the cheque off to his brother.

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

This month, one relationship may turn out to be downright life changing. With a plethora of planets building in your seventh house of serious commitments, you are about to have a “coming together” of major proportions. You may get engaged or married, or you may sign papers with a business partner (whether that is an individual or a company). This partner will be so special that your life could be radically transformed by this relationship. Working together, you will be able to create the solid financial future you’ve craved

LIBRA: September 23rd - October 23rd

How to tell if you’re Mum’s favourite!

The following week he gets another bill for $75.00 He sends the cheque off to his brother. The following week he gets yet another bill for $75.00 He sends the cheque off to his brother. The following week he gets a bill for $75.00 He calls his brother and says, “What the hell is going on; why do you keep sending me a bill for $75.00 every week?” His brother tells him, “Well, you said spare no expense, so we rented Dad a tux.”

In the cafeteria of a Catholic school, the children were lined up for lunch. At the head of the line was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note and she had placed it in front of the apples.

The note read: “Take only one, God is watching.”

Further down the cafeteria line was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies...

One of the boys had written a note of his own. The note he placed in front of the cookies read: “Take all you want, God is watching the apples.”

My memory’s not as sharp as it used to be. mind you, my memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity .

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don’t Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It “In.” 5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write “ For Smuggling Diamonds” 7. Finish All Your sentences with “In Accordance With The Prophecy.”

8 . Don’t use any punctuation 9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is “To Go.” 12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don’t Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day. 15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can’t Attend Their Party Because You’re Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream “I Won!, I Won!” 18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling “Run For Your Lives, They’re Loose!!”

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. “Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.” 20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......

The Royal Australian Mint The Mint Gift shop is the place to purchase unique Christmas presents (and all year round gifts and souvenirs). Themed coin sets for new born babies, coin collectors, wedding sets, even starter kits for the budding collector, with gifts for Mum, Dad and all the kids.

Coin Collection • Make their own coin • Take a virtual tour of the new Mint in our theatre • Have a BBQ on our grounds The Mint Gift Shop and Gallery is open

His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, on Monday 22nd February 1965. The Mint was commissioned to produce Australia’s decimal coinage, which was to be introduced into circulation on 14th February 1966.

Since 1965 the Mint has produced over eleven billion circulating coins, with the capacity to produce over two million coins per day, or over six hundred million coins per year.

Visitors to the Mint can also: • See the treasures of the National

Need More Money?

The Mint Shop is open late for Christmas Shopping.

It was the day of the big sale.

Pythagorean Theorem - 24 words. Lord’s Prayer - 66 words. Archimedes’ Principle - 67 words. 10 Commandments - 179 words. Gettysburg Address - 286 words. Declaration of Independence - 1,300 words. US Government regulations on the sale of cabbage - 26,911 words.

Fridays 9am – 7.30pm

RAMTW0701

Rumors of the sale (and some advertising in the local paper) were the main reason for the long line that formed by 8:30, the store’s opening time, in front of the store. A small man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back, amid loud and colourful curse. On the man’s second attempt, he was punched square in the jaw, and knocked around a bit, and then thrown at the end of the line again. As he got up, he said to the person at the end of the line, “That does it! If they hit me one more time, I won’t open the store!”

everyday leading up to Christmas, with extended trading hours every Friday.

(We are closed Christmas day).

Visit the Mint Gift Shop today; Denison Street Deakin or shop online www.ramint.gov.au

We sell memories you can hold on to.

Denison Street, Deakin

1300 652 020

HE

December 2007

32 Get Published - Upload your Articles @

www.theword.com.au H o m e f r o n t

Mixing it with the best for over 20 years!

L

orraine has been cooking up tasty treats, cookies and cakes for many years now, cutting her culinary teeth as a young woman in the Country Women’s Association (CWA), where she inherited recipes handed down many generations. As she and her loyal business partner Barbara approach their 20th birthday year for Annie’s Cake Place, Lorraine reflects on what keeps her customers coming back. “We make everything from scratch here, and I mean everything! No packets, premixes, bulk-bought gimmicks. From our sweets and lollies to the ice-flowers on our cakes, it’s all made right here.” Ring ring!

Barbara is in the kitchen, bowl in one hand and suddenly phone in the other.

She takes the order, covering every last detail, then back to the mix. Lorraine has just returned from Sydney earlier today, where she sold forty of her creations. I ask Lorraine if she is ever looking for more staff at this time of the year.

“No, we do fine. Friends and family all get in there, we get

quite busy but it’s good.” I shake my head and as this gentle woman smiles, with a tired by enthusing twinkle in the eye, I sense there are hundreds of stories to tell.

I ask Lorraine if she gets out of the kitchen much. “Well, I’m on the local fire brigade. I also teach cake cooking and decorating at Erindale College with the adult learners and on Monday nights we usually have quite a cook-up here at the shop, although that course finished a few weeks ago now.”

Barbara pokes her head out and hands me a rocky-road – YUM! Can’t say I’ve ever eaten home-made rocky-road. These girls know how to handle their media! I’m sold. I order a couple of their Grand Hampers (just ask for number 5!).8 inch Fruit Cake with nut topping, Pudding, Festive Cake, Shortbread, White Christmas, Cherry Almond Cookies, Greek Christmas Cookies, Curry Twists, Spiced Nuts…

If you are after the real deal this Christmas, forget your chainstores. Call Barbara or Lorraine at their shop on 62977190 and place an order that will place you at the head of the table this Christmas. Happy Christmas Lorraine and Barbara!

Douglas Joinery PTY LTD is a family owned and run business that has been involved in the joinery industry for over 30 years, what started as a back yard business has grown into an experienced and capable company which can produce a high standard product in a variety of areas, which can range from a single vanity to multi-million dollar contract.

At Douglas Joinery PTY LTD we employ a staff of 45 local people.

This includes 6 apprentices, 3 kitchen designers and a dedicated commercial team. As well as a capable team of varied tradespeople.

Over the years we have done a wide and varied range of commercial joinery, such as The Qantas Lounge at Canberra Airport, The High Court, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Bombala Hospital, Broken Hill Hospital, Mildura Hospital, The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and more recently the New Cultural Centre in Queanbeyan.

At Douglas Joinery PTY LTD we believe in only using premium quality products and where possible we use local companies and materials. We are able to cater to your every need from painted doors through to stone bench tops. We pride ourselves on our custom made products. No job is too big or small for us to manufacture.

So if you are looking for a completely new kitchen, laundry, vanity or wish to renovate your existing ones, please give us a call and speak to one of our designers who will be more than happy to assist you in your new venture.

HE

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December 2007

Eco Runaway Fashion Parade Green Pages “It’s not just a job, but a passion to green the world.”

Katie Patrick – founder/CEO of Green Pages Australia Back in early November, I attended the funky and sexy launch of the ‘Green Pages Directory’ in Sydney. The ‘Green Pages’ is the brainchild of Katie Patrick. Katie is an articulate 27 year-old woman, with the objective of ‘growing the commercial market share of products that are good for the environment’.

Katie is of the conviction that ‘the ultimate mission of ‘Green Pages’ is to promote green businesses throughout Australia’.

As the evening progressed, guests mingled freely within a relaxed and dynamic atmosphere. The convivial nature of the evening, allowed everyone to network and create new friendships, whilst exchanging ideas of great importance to our overall wellbeing.

The night was well attended by members of the fashion industry, celebrities, the environmental community and the media.

According to Katie Patrick, ‘the event created an opportunity for the most innovative names in Australian fashion, to show how they are leading

H o m e f r o n t

CityWest

By Fabian Veron Apart from doing a bit of writing for ‘The Word’, I also distribute the paper around Belconnen and Civic. When I started to do the Civic run, I came across Shantelle Moore from the IGA at the CityWest car park. As I chatted to Shantelle, I learned that this young woman actually went out of her way to promote ‘The Word’. How you might ask?

Well, Shantelle has been neatly folding Now that is what the team at ‘The Word’ the paper in half and inserting them into calls commitment!

Thank you Shantelle and the staff at IGA! customers’ bags!

By Fabian Veron

The launch of the directory was seamlessly backed up by the raunchy and colorful ‘Eco Runway Fashion Parade’. The parade highlighted some of Australia’s most innovative and environmentally conscious designers.

The beautiful and quaint settings of Walsh Bay gave the event an aura of anticipation, as the arriving guests were treated to fine organic food and beverages.

www.theword.com.au

FREE SCRAP METAL COLLECTION SERVICE

Romance Was Born the way towards sustainability’. Furthermore, Katie added that ‘the occasion provided a wake up call for the fashion industry and business in general, to embrace sustainability’. Finally, ‘Green Pages’ enables citizens to make informed green choices – ‘thereby turning sustainability into reality’.

The Green Pages Eco Directory lists over 6,000 sustainable products and services.

You can purchase them from your local newsagency @ the affordable price of $9.95 or visit: www.greenpagesaustralia.com.au

CARS IN ANY CONDITION, MACHINERY, WHITE GOODS, CAR PARTS, FENCING, MOTORS, METAL FURNITURE...

WHATEVER YOU HAVE WE WILL TAKE IT AS A REGULAR OR ONE-OFF COLLECTION. ANY QUANTITY, PROMPT, FRIENDLY SERVICE CA$H PAID FOR NON FERROUS METALS WE COME TO YOU - WEIGH & PAY FREE CALL 1800 553 753 OR MOBILE 0407 935 904 NOW PROVIDING TOWING SERVICES, FOR ALL YOUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS EZY TOW 1800 553 753

IF IT’S METAL WE RECYCLE IT

HE

34

December 2007

Get published - Upload your Articles @

www.theword.com.au E n v i r o n m e n t

Corinbank Festival at Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Doorstep from 29

By Fabian Veron â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;When one dreams alone, it is only a dream.

When many dream together, it is the beginning of a new realityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;Ś.Friedrich Hundertwasser. There is a buzz around town

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that the Corinbank Festival to be held early next year at Corin is shaping up, as a unique community event.

The Corinbank Crew has hit the ground running as D-day - fast approaches. Word from the organisers is that the overall program will feature a fantastic line-up of musical talent, as well as hosting a tremendous smorgasbord of artistic genres, that will range from the exciting to the sublime.

Corinbank will become an exciting threeday celebration of human culture, ingenuity and passion that welcomes with open arms families of all ages.

The organisers are also making sure, that all care will be taken to make the festival earth-friendly, by incorporating a number of exciting initiatives. For starters, organisers are engaging processes that will minimise the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon footprint, with all power sourced from recyclable bio-fuels. The event is also aiming at being waste-free.

As part of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to the ecological and biological integrity of our world, the festival will host an exciting initiative called the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;GreenKulture Tentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;GreenKulture

Tentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; will feature a range of cultural and environmental organisations.

The program of the Tent will engage the festival community through an exciting array of presentations and handson workshops. For more information on the program, tune in to the festival site for updates after the New Year.

From a cultural perspective, the organisations will range from the ACT Writers Centre, who will spouse the virtues of the written and spoken word, through to Encuentro. Encuentro has a diverse membership base that explores Latin American culture through music, literature and the visual arts.

The ecological dimensions of the program will feature organisations such as, the Ginninderra Catchment Group, Home Energy Advice Team, Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Environment & Sustainable Resource Centre and a multitude of other community organisations.

The beauty about the Corinbank festival, is that the process is inspiring new understandings, friendships and networks, whose main objective is to enhance life on our planet. Another great aspect to the festival is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a not-for-proďŹ t event and proceeds will be going towards organisations such as Greening Australia. Local artists and musicians will also beneďŹ t from the philanthropic ideals that the festival organisers embody.

Finally, the organisers await you with open arms, ready to engage ideas that will make the inaugural festival - an event you will never forget! For further information about the festival and how to get hold of ďŹ rst release tickets go to: www.corinbank.com - tickets are also available from Landspeed Records in Garema Place.

February till 2 March 2008

Miniature Galloways hand raised by Katie Hansch Come Visit Us

6463 Kings Hwy Burbong NSW 2620

Standing only 120cmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tall these friendly & well behaved cattle are ideal for hobby farms or showing.

Come and visit Katie, meet the Galloways and spend a day with us.

02 6297 5860 www.billyzon.com.au

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If you have been hiding under a rock these last few weeks, you would have missed all of our lovely rain. But this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean turning on all your hoses just because of the rain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in fact, I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had to water my gardens for over two months now.

Rain and sunshine makes a great growing season for all plants, so now is the time to keep an eye on your bugs and pests, especially fungal problems. Call into your local nursery if you have aphids to grab one of the new low-toxicity chemical sprays that are on the market these days. While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget about applying fertiliser to your gardens and lawns, and sprinkle it out in the rain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it saves you having to water anything in.

You can correct your drainage issues by using graveled areas that slow down the runoďŹ&#x20AC; of rain water, giving it time to soak into your soils. There is a great range of decorative pebbles and stones available these days, so you are literally spoilt for choice.

And of course, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to mulch your gardens, to keep as much water in as you can. This will be especially useful over the warmer summer months that are just around the corner.

And remember, water restrictions do not mean the end of the gardening lifestyle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just need to use the right products in the right zones of your garden, sit back, and have a cold beer or a glass of champers for a job well done.

Mark Locke Canberra Garden World www.canberragardenworld.com

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