Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Polly Dolly - Lovin' The LBD

Its time again ( and on scheduled time this week! ) for the Polly Dolly challenge, as hosted by Dani over at Danimezza. Though i have only been taking part for a month or two, this week Dani is celebrating a full year of Polly Dolly challenges....well done everybody! So, in the spirit of celebration, Dani would like us to dress our Polly's in a ....
Polly Dolly - Lovin' The LBD
Ah, the little black dress - every girls best friend. This week i decided to pretend that Polly is the same body shape as me ( rather than the supermodel she usually is ). So i picked this LBD with some volume on the top to balance out my hips, but fitted on the bottom to accentuate my curves. I went with black peep-toes and then some bold accessories for some beautiful pops of colour. Contact lenses instead of glasses, some daring eyeliner and pretty nails complete the look. So wish i had this look in my actual wardrobe!

In Dubious Battle


There’s a war in Libya and we’re in it. Obama Administration officials don’t want to call it a war and they don’t want to call it a battle either. They prefer to call it a “kinetic military action.” President Obama ordered our military to protect civilians in Libya who were being killed by Colonel Kaddafi as he tries to wipe out rebels there who want to overthrow him. It’s much more complicated than that though, as wars always are. We’re taking the side of the rebels in a civil war. They’re going to benefit as we restrict Kaddafi’s forces, but who are these rebels we’re helping? If and when they take over Libya, will they be better than Kaddafi? Let’s hope. Might they be worse? Evidence exists that they could be worse, both for Libya and for us. We don’t know, and that’s the problem with what President Obama is doing.

Does our president have a long-term policy in the Middle East or is he just reacting to events as they occur? Is he operating under the auspices of the United Nations? NATO? Is the United States leading this operation or following? Who is with us and who is against us? None of that is clear. If we’re protecting civilians from a dictator, why are we doing that in Libya and not Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Bahrain, or Iran in which civilians are suffering fully as much as they are in Libya?

Obama’s Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, advised him that Libya was not a threat to America and we had no strategic interests there. Several weeks ago, his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, advised him that we needed to establish a “no-fly zone” in the country as soon as possible and so did Senator John Kerry but Obama did nothing for two weeks. He claims to have been a professor of Constitutional law, but then he acted without consulting Congress, which is constitutionally dubious and which prompted Ohio Democrat Congressman Dennis Kucinich to call for his impeachment.

We have a commander-in-chief who can read a speech from a teleprompter very well. While campaigning, he can appear confident and smart to voters, 52% of whom elected him. Reading from a teleprompter isn’t enough anymore, but it’s increasingly evident that he isn’t good at much of anything else. He’s president now though, and he has to make tough decisions. He can’t just vote “present” the way he was accustomed to in the Illinois legislature, but he’s avoiding decisions until he’s absolutely forced to make them - and Libya is the result.

Is there some other way to make sense of all this? It looks to me like Obama epitomizes the worst of the liberal baby-boomer world view. He’s a reflection of the people who elected him. Baby boomers blame their parents for the evils of the world; Obama blames George Bush. He believes the world would be a better place if it were not for capitalism and US foreign policy. Rather than believing that America is an exceptional country in the history of the world, he sees America as a problem. He’s a utopian who thinks people around the world would get along fine if they weren’t “exploited.” The world would be all smiling happy people holding hands if it weren’t for US imperialism.

Obama admires a Europe which has spent two generations apologizing and flailing itself for colonizing Africa and Asia and then expanding socialist welfare programs for everyone, including illegal immigrants. Now it looks like he’s earnestly trying to copy those policies here in the United States. That both Europe and America are going bankrupt as a result seems not to bother him.

As for dealing with the Middle East, President Obama’s actions so far indicate that his plan has been to make nice speeches in Muslim countries apologizing for American “arrogance” and all will be well there, but it isn’t working. They’re burning him in effigy just as they did George Bush. That the rebel commander we’re helping in Libya fought against the United States in Afghanistan, that he recruits al Qaida terrorists to his side doesn’t seem to trouble our president. That they’re murdering black immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa doesn’t trouble him either.Rebel Commander Abdel-Hakim Al-Hasidi from Daily Telegraph UK

Until last week when he intervened, Arab Muslim terrorists were killing each other in Libya and we didn’t have to do anything but watch. What could be better than that? Why mess that up? I just don’t understand the rationale and neither, it seems, does our president. I listened to his speech Monday night, but came away still not understanding why we’re going further into debt and further committing our already overstretched military to install a government in Libya that shows all signs of being worse than terrorist, transvestite, mentally-disturbed Colonel Kaddafi.

If our commander-in-chief is going to commit our soldiers anywhere, he has to know what the goal is, then use maximum force to achieve it as quickly as possible. Or, don’t go in at all.

Books Are For Everybody

Is there such a thing has having too many books? Because Lord knows i love my Dad, but he thinks books  are a big fat old waste of time ( boo to him, he's such a toad ). He'd much prefer to watch a movie or listen to music. I like both those things aswell, but i'd love to have even more books than i already have crammed into my tiny bookshelf. Just as i'm happy to watch my favourite films over and over again, so do i enjoy revisiting my favourite books.And i'm hoping to instill this love of books in Flynn. I have to say, he's already a bit of a book lover - he has at least 20 board books ( so he cant rip the pages! ) which are a mix of story books ( like " Spot Goes To The Beach " ) and educational books. And, even at the tender age of 15 months, he already has his favourites that he loves to have read over and over again. Flynn is quite happy to grab a book, climb up on someones lap ( usually mine or Micks ) and read a story. I try to be overly animated with my voice to keep him interested, exaggerating animal noises or putting extra oomph into that " Peekaboo! " or " Wow! "...


And i've found another small person who appreciates my reading skills - our nephew Curly ( who shall thus be named for his curly mop, and because i dont know whether his mum is big on me talking about him on the net ). On our last visit to Nannies house, Curly came over to visit too and sat down on Nannies lap and listened while i read Flynns all-time favourite book, " Elmo: Puppies " :

Its a cute little book, written in the style of the " Elmo's World " tv show ( Flynn looooooooves Elmo! ) and has lift-the-flaps. And, you guessed it, its all about puppies. Anyhoo, Flynn loves both Elmo and puppies so its no wonder this is his favourite book, and i think little Curly enjoyed it too. I got about halfway through and all of a sudden he's kicking his legs on Nannies lap and do his darndest to get out a "woof woof! ". He looked so excited and joyous i've been inspired. See, Curly turns one this weekend and rather than buy him some plastic toy he'll either never play with, that he'll grow tired of in a week, or that will break....Mick and I have decided to buy him some books. Funnily ( and sadly ) enough, his mum and dad dont strike me as the type to sit and read to him but just seeing his little face light up while listening to " Elmo:Puppies " I just know if theyre willing to take the time, he'll love some books for his birthday.

What about you? Do/did you read to your children regularly as babies and toddlers? Do you like to give books as gifts?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Food For Thought

I know I’ve said this a few times but – I really feel like when I step on the scales at the end of this week I’m going to have PUT ON weight. I’ve had a bad week – no exercise, not enough of the right foods. I found myself amazed that I could have been so strict for those two weeks at the start because this past week I have caved in for all the wrong things. Flynn is too little too eat a full Freddo frog – oh hey I’ll just eat the other half! I couldn’t be bothered making up a salad – no matter, I’ll just eat two pieces of toast with peanut butter! Gee Subway is tempting – nah, I’ll have Hi-GI sushi instead! See what I mean – my head has totally been struggling with the right decisions this week.



Like last night – I ate the hugest piece of steak I’ve ever seen. They didn’t look that big when I bought them but looking at them on the George Foreman grill ( hey, at least I’m still knocking out the fat! ) they looked enormous. But did I cut in half and save some for lunch today? Umm, no, I just went right on eating that delicious side of cow. I’d feel better about it if it were a one-time slip up, but its not, and I’m worried that once I hit my goal I’m going to slip-slide right back to the “wrong” decisions. Like once I’ve hit my goal weight my mind will go “ Ah, we’ve reached the end! No need to try so hard anymore! “. Its sobering thought.

On the flipside, nor do I want to be one of these women who is obsessed by food, who knows exactly how many calories and how much fat is everything, and who is too afraid to indulge once in a while. A nice, normal, balance is what I’m aiming for – I guess the occasional bad week is all part of that. Right? Right?

Monday, March 28, 2011

Titus 2:11-15


For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blesses hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that ate his very own, eager to do what is good.
These, then, are the things you should teach.
Encourage and rebuke with all authority.
Do not let anyone despise you.

Treat Them As Queens

Let me ask you something – since when do 8 yr old children have wrinkles? I’m only asking because it seems that there are ( thankfully ) a small group of parents out there who think its completely acceptable to be giving their 8 yr old daughters Botox. And full body waxes. At 8 yrs old. Frankly, to these parents I say – You.Make.Me.Sick.


The most famous child beauty of them all....

Any of you who read Mamamia or New Idea magazine ( and to a lesser extent, last nights A Current Affair ) would have seen these stories already. And though I know these outlets aren’t exactly poster-boys for “serious” journalism, I don’t doubt the truth in these recent articles. I have to say – they concern me. The thought that someone, somewhere thinks its ok to give their 8 yr old daughter regular Botox treatments to treat and prevent wrinkles ( that cannot possible be there at that age ) and semi-regular full body waxes ( even though she hasn’t puberty yet, which means a distinct lack of short and curlies… ) really has me worried for the state of the world. How do these ideas even enter the head of any sane person? You can rabbit on about the role the media places in promoting one particular idea of beauty, or the ideal body shape, or whatever…. But I think, in the end, level-headed parents should be able to go someway to dispelling these media-controlled body myths. Sure, it doesn’t matter how many times you tell your daughters (especially ) that they are beautiful just the way they are, they’ll probably still want longer legs, or straighter hair or smaller noses.

But that doesn’t mean you should cave in to every crazy demand they come up with. Just because an 8 yr old sees models in magazines shaving their legs, doesn’t mean she needs to. Just because a 12 yr old thinks her nose is too big or her boobs are too small doesnt mean you go out and get them plastic surgery. As the parents, you set boundaries and give the encouragment needed to boost your childs self esteem. You DON'T plant the seeds of low self esteem by telling your daughters that only beautiful, hairless, wrinkle-free, big chested woman become superstars. You DONT (quite literally ) groom your daughter for fame by using her as a hairless human pin cushion.

 I'm going to be quite frank - if your doing these things, you are NOT a good parent....

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Disappointingly indisposed

A very short posting today as I am somewhat indisposed. There are a number of reasons for my feeling as I do, but one of these is having a week that has severely tested my unconditional positive regard for others. Carl Rogers notion of unconditional positive regard doesn’t mean we don’t have to take responsibility for our behaviours or what we do with strong emotions such as anger and disappointment.

Of course disappointment is a subjective response related to how we anticipate a particular outcome. The psychological and emotional consequences of disappointment will vary greatly in all of us. While some of us will recover quickly, others will get stuck in a mire of frustration, blame, or become depressed. None of these are a good place to be. Psychoanalytically depression, can be a direct consequence of both disappointment and frustration.

And I have been very disappointed this week – and at all kinds of levels and for all kinds of reasons. A cancelled lunch, the choices some of my colleagues made about the actions they decided to take, finding myself in a meeting where those who should also have been there were absent, and disappointed over my own sense of self and how this has been affected by what others expected from me this week. Rogers believed that we all need to be regarded positively by others; we all need to feel valued, respected, treated with affection and loved. It has been my inability to show others the value, respect, affection and love they deserve that has led to a sense of my disappointment in my self. However, as I write this, a new week is dawning, and with it new opportunities to try and do things differently.

Polly Dolly - Flower Power

I was so happy when i woke up this morning to discover that the wonderful Dani from Danimezza had finally posted this weeks Polly Dolly challenge. Seriously - i mean knowing that its still the weekend and i get to spend time with my boys is awesome, but Polly Dolly is like my one weekly blogging addiction, so to know i had that to llok forward to today was great. Like everything was coming up roses. Or flowers as it were - because this week Dani would like to know how we would dress our Polly in....

Polly Dolly - Flower Power

I have to say, as soon as i saw this weeks challenge was " Flowers " i knew that i wanted to keep the pieces fairly classic - i wanted to it to be chic, timeless outfit because ( to me at least ) the wrong floral pattern dates an outfit and makes it look too "grandma". So, thinking along the lines of a timeless pieces i found this gorgeous Burberry trench coat which has a soft flower pattern over the standard Burberry check, and then found a gorgeous Mad Men-esque shift dress. Pair these with soft grey textured tights ( the texture provided by a silver flower pattern ), plain grey booties, a chic Alice band for Polly's hair and cute love-heart brooch. Flowers without the "grandma" vibe? yes please!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Feast

Am I the only strange person out there who enjoys the preparations for the weeks grocery shop? Let me explain - I do my weekly grocery shopping on a Friday morning. Just me and Flynny-boy. So, on a Thursday night i sit down with various cookbooks and food magazines and plan out the weeks menu, and write out an appropriate shopping list. I love pouring over the magazines, trying to find recipes that not only sound delicious but that are relatively healthy and that i can make on a budget. I check the ingredients list to see if it has a lot of pantry staples ( thus saving me money not having to buy heaps of ingredients i wont use regularly ) and for things i'm going to be cooking on the 3 days that i work i like to find meals that are relatively quick and easy to prepare. I really do enjoy it, even down to the 3 separate places i need to stop ( greengrocers, meat centre, supermarket ) to get the groceries done.

I also enjoy gathering new recipes that i can make for my family - hence the love of food magazines over cookbooks, and an affinity for the Taste website. So, my question to you loyal reader types is: would you be interested in sharing? I would love to start a " Friday Feast " link up, where we get to share our favourite recipes, whether they be sweet or savoury, and especially if they were budget recipes ( isnt everyone tight on money these days? ). Let me know in the comments if its something you would take part in and if i get enough takers everyone prepare for next week!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

How Much Will It Really Cost?

Back in the 1980s, The US Department of Energy had plans to bury “high-level nuclear waste” in the form of spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants in the eastern United States - under the towns of southern and western Maine and eastern New Hampshire. My own town of Lovell was on the northern edge of the site they were considering. Recent events in Japan have brought it all back to me.

I was in my first term on Lovell’s Board of Selectmen when volumes of bound studies as big as the Obamacare bill arrived at our town office in January, 1986 as well as every other town between Lovell and Westbook, Maine and Conway, New Hampshire. I didn’t know much about nuclear power and neither did most other town officials, so I went to an impromptu informational meeting somebody called at Lake Region High School in Naples, Maine. Interesting people from all over southern Maine appeared and lined up at the microphone.Guys who had served on nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers explained what they knew. Retired geologists familiar with what was under the ground in our part of the world explained gave their opinions. Retired federal employees explained what they knew. Guys who had been drilling wells all over the area explained what they’d discovered - and they all kept it simple enough for lay people to understand. Mostly, I sat and listened, very impressed by how many bright people from varied backgrounds lived quiet lives in rural Maine, and how well everyone cooperated to deal with this threat to the land we all called home.The "pluton" is light-colored on this portion of the 1985 Bedrock Geologic Map of Maine

The DOE (US Department of Energy) was implementing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act which had become law in 1982 and directed the DOE to find a “high-level nuclear waste repository” somewhere east of the Mississippi in which to “dispose” of all those spent fuel rods crowding storage pools in dozens of nuclear power plants. They said there was a “pluton” under the ground here at least 1500 meters thick, and it was flawless. It was contiguous. It had no cracks or seams. Vertical shafts could be cut down 1000 meters and lateral shafts could be cut horizontally. Spent fuel rods could be stored in those shafts deep down there and be safe for 10,000 years.

The more we studied their proposal, the more flabbergasted we became. We knew the “pluton” under us had lots of cracks in it because most of us had sunk wells into it and had been using the water that flowed through those cracks for years. It was anything but flawless. How could the DOE insist it was a seamless mass of granite? Were they fools? Did they think we were? This “pluton” underlay Sebago Lake - Portland’s water supply.

Other informational meetings were held. Thousands more came to learn and become outraged at what the federal government proposed for our state. Television cameras were set up, and wherever there were crowds and cameras, there were politicians. Whoever was running for governor, congress or the state legislature showed up to make speeches that didn’t seem to help much. Ironically, local citizen’s groups here in Maine adopted the yellow Gadsden Flag with the coiled snake saying “DON’T TREAD ON ME,” which is, of course, the same one citizens’ groups protesting big government and calling themselves “The Tea Party” have adopted. We especially liked it because the “ME” at the end is the postal abbreviation for Maine. I’ve had mine hanging right under the American flag in my classroom for twenty-five years.Reluctantly, DOE bureaucrats came to Maine and Conway, New Hampshire, conducted their hearings, and felt our wrath. From January to April, I was out at least three or four nights a week at meetings and hearings or organizing opposition. At one of those meetings in Casco, Maine on the night of April 26, 1986, we heard about the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant near Kiev in the Ukraine. Right after that, the US Department of Energy abruptly discontinued its search for an eastern repository for its nuclear waste. The issue was too politically hot for the federal government to handle. The "Eastern Repository" idea was shelved and the DOE concentrated on "disposing" its waste inside Yucca Mountain, Nevada. We were off the hook. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, however, had the Yucca Mountain site in his home state of Nevada killed last year. The DOE is back to square one.

The still-unsolved problem of what to do with nuclear waste is the Achille’s heel of the nuclear industry. Today, just as liberal and conservative politicians in America are actively considering nuclear power again, Japan is shining a light on it for the world to see. It’s their spent-fuel-rod pool they’re having the most trouble with at this writing. When nuclear powered electric generation was introduced in the 1950s, some said it would be virtually free - too cheap to meter. Today, we still don’t know how much it really costs per kilowatt hour because we don’t know the expense of storing those mounting spent fuel rods or disposing of them - if we ever figure out how.

I Couldnt Have Said It Better

Those of you who are regular readers around these parts would know that I am getting married in November ( which is only 7 months away - yes, don’t remind me... ). Now I have never been the kind of little girl who dreamed about a huge princess-y wedding, and neither was I the type to know exactly what dress/theme/flowers/cake I wanted by the time I was 10 years old. Thusly, I have been a little slow off the mark in getting things organised for the big day. The dress is taken care of, both venues and a photographer have been booked, I’ve enlisted the help of a wedding planner to do the decorations ( and she's also sourcing my flowers from the Sydney markets ) and the cake is generously being taken of by Micks aunty. There are plenty of small details to be taken care of but the one big thing I’ve yet to organize is the ceremony.



Despite both being christened, neither of us is religious, so we’ve decided to have our ceremony held in a local park and conducted by a marriage celebrant ( who happens to be my old yoga instructor. ) Because I haven’t been bothered haven’t had time to find my birth certificate yet ( which is somewhere in my filing cabinet, somewhere in the garage ) so we haven’t had an official meeting with the celebrant yet, but I have been pouring over the information she gave me in regards to what style of ceremony she can do, and I have been trawling the internet trying to find some beautiful readings. I haven’t been able to find anything that really resonated with me, and that hadn’t been read to death at other people’s weddings…. Til now.

This morning i was browsing my Google reader list and noticed that the lovely Maxabella  from Maxabella Loves had made a new post, so i clicked on over. What i found was a post in regards to what marriage means. It.Was.Beautiful. I have no other words except to say that what Bella has written rings so true for me, is everything that i would like to say about what i hope for my marriage, and it would make the perfect reading for my wedding ceremony. I have commented on her post and asked if i could get her permission to use her words at my wedding, but i might try and get a hold of her on Twitter to ask the same. I've just re-read over her words again now, whilst writing this post, and they are making me choke up ( Gawd knows how i;d be at the actual wedding ). Please, do yourself a favour, head over to Bella's page and read what she has written - and then pop back here and let me know what you think, and whether you have any recommendations for a second reading....

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Operation Slimdown - We've Hit The 10 Week Mark

So - its Tuesday again. And its the 2nd Tuesday in my fortnightly rotation, which means its time again for an update on Operation Slimdown! ( Ok, yep, its not really exciting, not enough to warrant and exclamation point - sorry about that ) Anyhoodle, lets dispense with the jibber jabber and go straight to the stats:
Bust: 92cm - down 1cm
Waist: 77cm - no change
Hips: 97cm - down 1.5cm
Bum: 101.5cm - down 1.cm
Thigh: 62.5cm - down 0.5cm
Weight: 69.7kg - down 1kg

Now, let me explain something - this weeks weigh in was weird. I weighed myself on my SIL old-school mechanical scales ( i dont normally use them and was curious to see if they would give the same results... ) and it came up at a nice neat 69kg. I thought " ok, better result than i was expecting so lets not get our hopes up ... ". Then, less than an hr later, i weighed myself on my parents digital scales ( the ones i have been using from the start ) and they showed up at 69.9kg. Seeing as it was almost a full kilo different to the first result i thought i'd just double check... but when i hopped on the digitals the 2nd time, the reading was 75kg! There is now way in the known universe i could put on 5 kgs in 30 seconds so i decided i would weigh myself again the next day, and whatever result that came up with was THE result for the fortnight.

So - when Sunday saw a result of 69.7kg i thought " alrighty - a nice, neat, tidy kilo! ". I'm happy with that - i'm aiming for a 1kg loss per fortnight and i really didnt think i would achieve that with this fortnights lack of exercise ( thanks crappy weather and crappy germs ). I did motivate myself to get out for a walk Sunday morning though so thats a good start to this fortnight. And at a total of 8.1kg lost in 10 weeks, i'm really excited to keep motivating myself to eat well and exercise more until i hit that 10kg goal!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Sometimes You Have To Stop Running.

Getting picked on. Tormented. Harrassed. Bullied. I'm sure its happened to all of us, in varying degrees. Its certainly not a new phenomena, and nor do i see it being phased out anytime soon. In fact, i'm pretty sure bullies will still exist when Flynn makes it to kindergarten ( 4 years from now ... ). So - just how do i raise my child to deal with childhood bullies?



Of course, i bring this up now because, like most people out there, i've seen the video posted on YouTube last week of a Sydney teenager fighting back against a bully. I only watched it the once and, yes - it made me wince. The young boy that got thrown to the ground did not look too well when he tried to get up. Did i sympathise with him though? Umm, no, not really. Its hard to sympathise with a kid you just watched taunting and punching another kid, even if he did get body-slammed in the end. In fact, i'd even go so far as to say he deserved it.

I dont want to offend anyone, or start some huge parenting argument but.... i think its ok to defend yourself when someone is hurting you. Even if that means you have to hurt them back. Shock horror! I'm not talking about little children - if Flynn ( now 15 months old ) hits another kid at mothers group or at the park, even if they pushed him first , then i tell him we dont hit, its not nice. I'm talking about children and especially teenagers, who are old enough to know better. I'm also not talking about a one-off school yard fight - you can be the bigger person and walk away from those.

I'm talking about long-term, systemic belittling and physical violence. I'm talking about having to go to school everyday knowing that some kid is going to walk up and punch you for no reason, or dak you in the playground just because he can, or who is going to yell things at you on your way to the canteen. You shouldnt have to put up with that. And its all well and good for some parents to say " just tell the teacher " but really, in todays society, what will ( can ) the teachers do? Give the bully a warning? A detention ? A suspension in the worst cases? All of which just results in the bully getting a holiday and the victim getting " Dobbers wear nappies! " from ever other kid in the school yard.

So Mick and I are going to teach our children that if someone is constantly harrassing them, teasing them everyday, kicking and punching and bashing them up.... then its ok for them to fight back. Its ok for them to be the better man and walk away time and time again but, if, eventually they implode and they've taken all they can take then yes.... its ok for them to get a punch or two in, just to give the bully some of their own medecine. To show that they have strength too, and that they arent afraid. Walking away is the nicer option, but some people just wont let up until theyve been stood up to. I know that if it came down to my child body-slamming their tormentor in a moment of rage, or bottling it all up until he killed himself, just to escape....well, a school yard punch up doesnt look so bad, does it?

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Happiness, Harvard and Hotels: Staying in a good place needn't be a stressful experience!

It has been a stress filled week, but paradoxically, a week that ultimately for me, has been filled with a great deal of happiness. David Cameron reminded the nation last week about his Happiness Index, due to be introduced in April this year. I don’t know what metrics he will employ in measuring our happiness. It has been up to the National Statistician Jil Matheson, of the Office of National Statistics  to work on which questions to add to the existing household survey this spring. The new data gathered will be placed alongside existing measures to create a bundle of indications about our quality of life.

This approach may take us further along the road of understanding of the multidimensional nature of well-being and how this needs to encompass the economic as well as social and environmental issues. Possibly this has to be a better place than the Harvard psychologist’s Daniel Gilbert and Matthew Killingsworth got to with their study of happiness. The outcomes of their study, published in the prestigious journal Science, revealed that happiness is found by 'living in the now'. People were most happy when having sex, exercising or in conversation, and least happy when working, resting or using a home computer.

In this study they rated happiness on a scale from 0 to 100, which captured whether they were focused, or daydreaming about something positive, negative or neutral. However, since Christmas time last year, I have periodically rating myself against my own happiness index which is a great deal simpler – (1 = utter despair, 10 – manic exhilaration). Those who truly know me might say I have a propensity to stray towards the lower end of this index, but this week saw me in a different place.

Monday started with some good news about a colleague whose progress in overcoming a sudden and life threatening condition was positive and rapid. I hope she continues on her journey to make a fast and full recovery. Later on in the morning I received a phone call from the auditor group that had been looking at our research processes in the College. It was a generally good conversation and whilst I still have to wait for the formal report I think as a College, and particularly as a School we are OK. Up until hearing this however, my stress levels were considerably raised. As the College Associate Dean for Research, the buck stops with me.
Later on that evening I was in the company of the Greater Manchester Deans of Health (Nursing and Midwifery) for a meal at the Mint Hotel in Manchester city centre. Now some of you will know that I am not that keen on eating out at such venues – but this was a wonderful meal. The conversation was a mixture of professional work issues (the changes to commissioning for nurse education are becoming more and more challenging as the detail of what the future might look like begins to emerge), and a catch up with personal and family experiences.

Tuesday was a different day, but I stayed in that good place, possibly scoring 6 out of 10 for happiness, but going to sleep that night I could feel the stress grow. So I was not surprised to be wide awake very early on the morning the NMC came to validate our new pre-registration programme. It was a hectic day, more so for colleagues than perhaps me. By 16.00 hours however, we had the good news that the programme had been approved. This was wonderful for our School and for all of those who had worked so hard over the previous 18 months to get us to this place. Many thanks for helping to secure the future of the School for the next five years. We can now work at how to best deliver what is truly an innovative programme. For me my happiness rating went up a notch.

Thursday included an opportunity to do some writing. Not reports, or other official documents but that which involves only thinking about what I really wanted (need) to say. This is always something that keeps my happiness level towards the upper end of my index. For me, this kind of writing is the ultimate act of autonomy. And as the economic philosopher John Mill noted, happiness and autonomy are indivisible. Mill’s said: ‘The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way’. To be autonomous is to be able to reflect on and evaluate one’s desires, beliefs and values: we don’t just act; we choose how to act; we choose which goals to adopt, and we reflect on the reasons for our beliefs. By this, we can shape ourselves and our own lives; and if we shape ourselves according to our own values, we express our individuality.

Friday, eventually, was an opportunity for me to be able to assert my individuality. Friday turned out to be an excursion into transactional analysis territory, and by going home time I was exhausted with the rapidity of movement of some of my colleagues as they oscillated between adult, parent and child mode. I was way down towards the lower end of my happiness index. Thankfully, the supportive emails from colleagues about the good news of our NNS results going past 50% propelled me back up to the mid range of my happiness index.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Polly Dolly - She's Got Legs....In Tights. Take 2

Ok, yes, i did Polly Dolly yesterday. However, upon checking the linky over at Danimezza i found that 3 of us challengers had used the exact same tunic! Great minds think alike and all that but... i wanted to do another one, just to prove i could be different...
She's Got Legs....In Tights. Take 2

Where the first set was all " a day at the polo " grace, i like to think this one is a bit more dirty rock and roll. I took the inspiration from the tights this time, which reminded me so much of something a Tim Burton character would wear, hence the cute " Nightmare Before Christmas" bag. ( For anyone who doesnt know who Tim Burton is, he is only the GREATEST film director ever. Well, he's my favourite at least. Go look him up... ). The scarf and the beanie are keeping Polly warm, and the little collection of badges and brooches liven up the plain black tunic. Oh, and of course, Polly is listening to my two favourite post punk/rock bands on her Ipod....

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Polly Dolly - She's Got Legs...In Tights

Ah, i'm so happy the wonderful Dani from Danimezza got the Polly Dolly challenge out on time this weeek - i dont know how i would have suffered through last weeks withdrawals all over again! This week Dani has been lucky enough to have been attending Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and, inspired by the catwalks, wants to know how our Polly would wear...
She's Got Legs ... In Tights

Now, allow me a disclaimer here - I am not the biggest fan of tights. I have previously declared war on jeggings, which are the ban of my existence. However, seeing as I am not my Polly Dolly - she is far taller, thinner and more glamorous than me! - i have ignored that the fact that usually i would trumpet " Tights are not pants! ". Also - tunics are long enough to cover my Pollys bum, and thats my main thing against girls in tights ( i dont wana see your bottom ladies! ). With that said...
I found this cute H&M tunic, which is more like an over-sized shirt than it is the more kaftan-style tunics. I really got a cute, aristocratic, polo-set type feel from it .... it felt like something Kate Middleton or Zara Phillips would wear. I paired it with grey tights and some great, brown leather accessories( including a wider belt ), a soft knit slouch beanie/beret and some easy neutral make-up to keep the look classic and polished. Now all thats left for Polly to decide is - lunch with the ladies or off to the polo?

Aesthetic Attempts

My camera is with me wherever I go, on a strap over my shoulder or nearby in the car or the truck. When I see something beautiful or interesting, I want to capture its image. If I should forget it, I’ll turn around even if it makes me late.It’s rare though when can I replicate what I see - especially beauty, which, as the saying goes, is “in the eye of the beholder.” What my eye sees and my camera sees are similar but never the same and neither sees the world as it really is. Objective reality exists, the perception of which I can only approach with the faculties my Creator gave me, or with the device Nikon made. I try to understand the world around me using my brain, and I try to perceive it with my senses knowing those faculties are limited and the results will always be imperfect.It’s helpful to keep this in mind when editing pictures, which I like to do, but for which I seldom have enough time. Editing is so much easier with digital photography and cheaper too. All one needs is a computer whereas in the old days, a darkroom was necessary with enlargers and chemicals. Amateur photographers I know refuse to edit, considering the process unacceptable compromise. One won’t even crop, believing that if he didn’t frame it properly when shooting it, too bad.I’ll bet that if I asked them, few would object to converting a color shot to black-and-white, yet they wouldn’t consider digitally enhancing colors or contrasts or brightness. I use to feel the same way about my images, but not anymore. The way I see it all now, whatever emerges in my picture-taking or my editing will be just another imperfect rendition of reality. I’ll always keep the original, however, and edit a copy. I’ll play with it to enhance whatever feeling I had that prompted me to shoot it in the first place.Every image has feeling associated with it - if it’s my idea to take it. If I’m shooting for someone else, that probably won’t happen. To the extent I can capture the beauty of what I see, I capture the feeling with it. Others may not feel what I do when they look at it, or feel anything at all. Guess that’s because we all perceive the world differently.If I’m shooting, then I’m right with the world. If a week goes by without taking pictures of something I’m not doing well. I’m preoccupied or I’m too busy to live as I should and I need to change something. I’ve learned that it’s a barometer I shouldn’t ignore.Often my children and grandchildren have inspired me to pick up my camera. As infants and toddlers, they’re almost all feelings and they catalyze instinctive, reciprocal feelings in me. My daughters notice my connection to my grandchildren because their love is more intense than mine. They like to see themselves and each other as little children too. Old pictures tap old feelings.When my children were little, I couldn’t afford color prints, so I shot a lot of slides which were cheaper and we’d have set up a slide projector to see them. That was a bother, but it did foster attentiveness. When I made prints of favorite slides, they never looked as good to me as they did when projected onto a screen in a darkened room. Today, I much prefer to see my images on a back-lit computer screen than as a print on photo paper. I’ll enlarge some, frame them and hang them up, but I’m less satisfied with the result. I prefer them on a high-definition TV screen, and if I ever become more prosperous, I’ll purchase some of those large, framed LCD panels to display my images where I live and work.Here’s hoping I never again go off unprepared to capture whatever the world would show me.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Cold and Flu and Buggy Things...

Image from here
Does anyone want my cold? I've had a cold/flu type thing for over a week now, and the constant sniffles and bone-rattling coughing fits are driving me up the wall. They are also hindering my fledgling exercise routine - by the end of the day my energy levels have been pretty low, so i havent done any exercise for the last 10 days. I'm not feeling too happy about this fact, seeing as i had done so well the last fortnight with the 2kg weight loss. I was really keen to push on and then bam! I've turned into germ city. Yuck.


However, i have been careful with what i've been eating. Granted, i did have takeaway twice in the past week but i made sure that my other meals those two days were spot on, health and calorie wise. I weighed myself this weekend, just out of curiousity and concern that this damned cold was sending me back a few steps, and i had lost weight ( i'm not telling you how much - you'll have to wait til next weeks official weigh in! ) but i'm 95% certain that had i been able to get in a few 40 minute walks i would have lost a bit more. I did take myself out for a stroll on my lunch breaks though - a leisurely 20 minute walk around the CBD near my office - and i guess thats something.

So we'll see how i'm feeling by Wednesday afternoon. Mick and I have agreed that Wednesday arvo's are my night to go out for a walk while he stays in with Flynn ( who is either in the middle of his dinner/bath/bed routine, or already asleep, when its most convenient to walk.. ), and then i can take Flynn in his pram Thursday and Friday mornings, weather permitting. So consider this me crossing my fingers that my cold clears up a little, and that the weather stays clear, over the next week....

Monday, March 14, 2011


"Look at your problems in the light of God's power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems."
God is good all the time. He never changes even when we feel as if he does. We're the ones who change and forget who God is. We play the blame game when something goes wrong because obviously nothing could be our fault when usually it is. Making mountains out of mole hills, we become depressed by the issues of everyday life. We let the shadows overpower us.
Stepping back and looking at our problems through God's light allows us a unique perspective. In God there is no darkness, so when his light shines on anything we see it for what it really is. No longer are things problems but lessons. and that mountain? Well, it's now seen as the little pile of dirt it really is.

"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." Eleanor Roosevelt

And Its All Gonna Come To A Head...

So... remember how i said i was beginning to have serious issues with the attitude of one of my co-workers? And how it wasnt just me having these issues, but everyone else in the office? Yea, well, today we get word ( whilst said worker has gone away for a conference ) that once he gets back we're all going to have a big meeting about how his attitude effects us and effects the efficiency of the office. Its all going to come out in the open and - although it wont be pretty - i'm glad about it.

Clearly if 4 people in the office all have the same problem with one particular person...well... that person IS the problem. No? Thing is, despit being a fully grown adult male, this guy will do one of three things when we get around to telling him how we feel:
a) he'll burst into tears
b) he'll call in sick for the next two or three days or
c) he'll give us all the cold shoulder for a week.
And therein lies part of the problem - aside from being lazy, he acts so much like a child - chucking little tantrums, spending his time reading chain emails, being all sooky and defensive when someone does criticse him - that at times its like working in the office with a 5 yr old. Its exhausting, both because the rest of us pick up the slack of the work he doesnt do, and we have to walk on eggshells to make sure he doesnt have a wobbly.

Watch out towards the end of next week for an update on how it all went - fingers crossed i get to work in a professional, civil, tantrum-free office by the end of the month!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Polly Dolly - Wana Meet Up?

Oh, how i was waiting on Polly Dolly this week? I really enjoy completing the weekly Polly Dolly challenge ( proudly brought to you by Dani at Danimezza ) and when Dani was two days late in posting it...boy... i was having withdrawals! Anyhoo, in anticipation of the first ever Australian Bloggers Conference ( which i am not attending because i am both poor and not a big enough blogger to warrant attending... ) Dani would like to know what we ( or our Polly Dolly ) would where to a ....

Polly Dolly - Wana Meet Up?

I would definately wear something like this to a casual blog meet up - say a coffee or a nice lunch with some fellow bloggers. Not that i will have the occasion for a blog meet up anytime soon ... there is only me and one other blogger that i know of anywhere around where i live! Anyhoo, i digress...i've gone with classic boot cut jeans ( no matter how many times i try on skinnies, i always see myself as super-hippy. Bootcut balances that out ) and a cute polka-dot blouse. Suede flats and (almost)matching satchel keep me comfy, and a messy bun is my "go to " hair style. The Guess watch is exactly the same as the one i wear everyday, black frames are pretty close to my favourite pair of specs ( i own 9 pairs of glasses...only 4 have the correct script in them at the moment! ) and i'd be playing Sugarlands " All I Wana Do " in the car on the way there to get me in a fun mood! Would i pass the first impressions test in an outfit like this?

Celebrating how the other half live, 100 Salford Women, and the need to think of Japan

The 8th March is when  International Women’s Day is celebrated. The origins of the International Women's Day date back to 1911. The day came about as a result of industrial revolution in Eastern Europe, and gained worldwide recognition in 1977 when the UN General Assembly made an official declaration. To mark the 100 year anniversary of this day, the Salford Staff Women’s Action Network (SSWAN) mounted an exhibition which profiles 100 women staff from all levels and departments across the University. The event aimed to highlight, acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the  University of Salford's female workforce.

The exhibition is made up of the profiles of 100 women working in the University who were nominated by colleagues. Each profile includes a description of the women’s work and a photo of her. Brought together in one gallery, the 100 photos and profiles made for a glorious celebration of the achievements and contribution of these women to the University and to Salford. The exhibition also aimed to raise awareness of the University’s many and various staff networks. These networks are growing in number and representativeness of the University’s staffing profile. However, as I write this blog, I am not sure there is yet a SSMAN. (Salford Staff Men's Action Network)

Which is a shame. Perhaps the equivalent male network is planned to be launched in time for the International Men’s Day (19th November). This day has a much shorter history than the International Women’s Day. International Men’s Day was inaugurated in 1999 and is fully supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).The objectives of celebrating an International Men's Day include focusing on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It should be an occasion to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care.

However, Dan Abrams book, published on the day SSWAN was launched last year, and interestingly entitled Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else reveals the size of the outstanding task there is in finding ways to value both men and women. Despite the title, Abrams book is not about proving that girls are better than boys, any more than it is about proving boys are better than girls. Ultimately his book is about asking the important question of how we can all find ways of honouring and respecting both women and men.

Our professions (Nursing and Midwifery) are predominately made up of women. In terms of the School, 92% of the senior management, leadership and specialist roles are held by women. And I am glad they are. We have a con-joint validation event on the 16th of March at which our new pre-registration programmes are to be scrutinised and assessed prior to be being given approval (or not). This event will be the end point of over 18 months work on the part of many colleagues across the School - work that has been so effectively led by what I believe to be some of the best of Salford University’s women – and not all of them made the SSWAN 100.

And finally, research undertaken by the husband and wife anthropological team David and Barbara Shwalb, which looked at twentieth-century Japan and the United States revealed contrasting points of view about certain traits that are independent of gender and which reinforce the importance of socialisation, rather than biology, in shaping masculine and feminine behaviour. In Japan, cooperation and acceptance of a dependence on others (a trait that many in the US, associate with femininity) is valued in both males and females, and the Japanese socialise their children accordingly. This appears to be the case even though Japanese culture remains more committed to traditional gender differences than the prevailing US culture and which is still more male dominated. In contrast, in the US, individualism and autonomy have been highly valued and these traits have been fostered in both sexes, although more explicitly and extensively in boys. Things maybe changing however, who has not seen the Sky Broadband advert which takes as its marketing story, the Princess and the Pea, and wondered what is being sold...

This is a debate that’s likely to run and run, and we should all participate in making our views known. Likewise, given the recent tragic events in Japan, we should all think about how we can demonstrate our shared humanity, male and female, in providing support to those left devastated by the consequences of last Fridays earthquake and tsunami.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Green Goons


Traveling to Madison, Wisconsin last week, film maker Michael Moore said, “America is not broke ... Wisconsin is not broke. The only thing that's broke is the moral compass of the rulers.”

Hmm.

We know that Michael Moore is not broke. He became a millionaire making dubious documentaries that attack gun owners, oil companies, General Motors (before Obama took it over), and “the rich.” We also know that he’s not starving. He’s the most corpulent communist in the country, but he’s wrong about America not being broke.

The United States government debt is over $14,000,000,000,000. President Obama’s budget will add $1,500,000,000,000 to it next year bringing it to $15,500,000,000,000. Then he proposed to do that again the following year bringing the debt to $17,000,000,000,000. After that, many of us hope he becomes former President Obama, but we’ll see.

Michael Moore is right, however, about the broken moral compass of our rulers. For example, gasoline prices go up nearly every hour. It’s getting so people are afraid to drive more than 150 miles for fear that they won’t be able to afford the gas to get home again. Still, President Obama refuses to allow oil development either on government-owned land or just off our coasts. We have enough petroleum in the ground right here in the United States to last us centuries but Obama, the Democrats and their green goons won’t let us get at it for fear there might be a spill and a sea gull might get oil on its wings. It’s all right though to send $1,000,000,000 a day to Muslim countries who use much of it to finance jihad against us in their radical quest to destroy western civilization. Our liberal Democrat rulers want fossil-fuel energy prices to go up in hopes that Americans will turn to solar panels, windmills and Chevy Volts.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said, "[T]his administration's policies have been designed to drive up the cost of energy in the name of reducing pollution, in the name of making very expensive alternative fuels more economically competitive. . . . In the United States, it's harder to get a permit to mine coal than it is to get a heart transplant. . . . we are going to produce about 13 percent less petroleum in the U.S. this year than last year. Now how is that good policy at any time when energy security is supposed to be a priority, but particularly a time of turmoil in the Middle East in the oil-producing states?"

Barbour may run for president as a Republican in 2012.

Leaders who would intentionally drive up energy prices for every American do indeed have broken moral compasses as Michael Moore suggests, but that isn’t how those leaders see themselves. When they look in their mirrors, they see modern-day saviors of the world looking back because oil and coal are fossil fuels. Michael Moore, President Obama, and millions of other Chicken Littles have been predicting for decades now that we’re all going to be boiled alive by global warming allegedly caused by burning those evil fossil fuels.

Just by inserting the word “allegedly” in the previous sentence, I’ve made myself a heretic in the rigid religion of Environmentalism. I’ve become the equivalent to a Holocaust-denier, a shill for oil companies, anathema to the “Greens” - just like Haley Barbour.People like Barbour and me are understood by the environmental saviors as suck-ups to “the rich” whom they think are ripping off everybody else on earth. Environmental saviors are also champions of “the poor” and those members of the middle class who bow at the same altars they do. They’re on the side of the public-employee unions who portray themselves as champions of ordinary Americans against “the rich.” They would save us all from the the evil intentions of “the rich” who conspire constantly to make everyone else poorer and destroy the world. Wisconsin and America “are not broke” because there are still some rich people who could pay more taxes. No matter that they’re already paying most of our federal income taxes. No matter that, according to an article on CNBC’s web site: “[S]ocial welfare benefits make up 35 percent of wages and salaries [in America] this year, up from 21 percent in 2000 and 10 percent in 1960” Who do they suppose is paying for all that?Hope this isn't a Wisconsin teacher

Michael Moore and Barack Obama, both millionaires, know how much money we’re all supposed to have. They know how much is enough, how much is too much, and what amount each of us deserves. They would use government to take wealth away from “the rich” and fix everything for everybody so we can all live happily ever after driving our Chevy Volts and plugging them in every thirty miles.

Hang on America. The journey to the Big Green Paradise is going to be expensive and if you’re not broke yet, you soon will be.