Monday, November 30, 2009

don't forget the war

OPINION: Phillip Adams
From: The Australian
November 14, 2009

BETWEEN Kristallnacht and the Final Solution, many German and Austrian Jews tried desperately to escape the Nazis. A few were fortunate enough to find "people smugglers" and, becoming boat people, sought asylum in Britain, the US, Australia, anywhere that might have them.

But country after country turned the Jews away. Those who made it to the UK were promptly rounded up and interned. Panicked by Dunkirk, Churchill failed to make any distinction between Jews and Nazis. He didn't want them in England and so sought a "Pacific solution" - they'd be sent to Australia.

Like Churchill, the crew on the overcrowded HMT Dunera treated the 2000 Jews as Nazis. They brutalised them, ridiculing the orthodox Rabbis, looting luggage and tossing it overboard. As well as being in constant fear of torpedo attack, the human cargo had no idea of their destination. Having expected to join Britain in fighting Hitler, all they knew was that wherever they ended up they'd be treated as enemy aliens.

And on their arrival in Australia on September 6, 1940? They were sent to Hay in NSW and shoved into a detention centre with a sign at the front gate declaring it a "concentration camp". When the truth of what was happening to the Jews in Europe began to emerge, it was taken down.

You will have noted certain similarities with current events and those since Tampa. Asylum seekers whom nobody wants. "Jumping queues." "Economic refugees" who could afford to bribe their way from danger. Being demonised by those who could have chosen to help them. Victims of escalating injustice offered precious little compassion. Characterised as potentially dangerous. With hindsight, the "people smugglers" in this narrative are now seen as heroic.

So the refugees on the Dunera were herded behind barbed wire in Australia's very own camp for Jews. They were, of course, vastly more fortunate than those who hadn't escaped. Hay was no Auschwitz and the Australian guards treated them with kindness and decency. It soon became a remarkable community with its own currency and first-class concerts; a virtual university. Not surprising, given that among their number were some of Europe's best and brightest: musicians, artists, actors, scholars and even a Freudian psychiatrist. Some of Vienna's café society was recreated on a treeless plain in the middle of nowhere. I was honoured to know many of the Dunera boys who stayed on in Australia. They became famous in many aspects of Australian life. In the arts, academia, media and the law. Later I'd work with writer/director Ben Lewin to tell their ultimately inspirational story in a feature film. But our major investor, one of Australia's richest men, pulled the rug when we were well into pre-production. In an anti-Semitic outburst, he said: "I didn't know your bloody film was about a boatful of effing yids." Fortunately, Ben was later able to tell the story in one of Australia's best mini-series.

Jews then. Muslims today. We should learn from this moment in our history: not to exploit fear of refugees; not to toss decency overboard into the cesspit of racism. We should remember that among the first to leave a terrible situation, whether in Berlin or Baghdad, are the sort of talented, highly motivated people you'd want as citizens. I urge Messrs Rudd and Turnbull to study the lessons of the Dunera. You never know what marvellous people might be in the next boatload of reffos.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

when I hit a wall, I look up at the sky

Ben Lee - Begin




One of my favourite songs :)

Friday, November 27, 2009

bran nue dae



"A classic indigenous Australian coming-of-age road trip adventure musical." I can't wait to see this :)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

nature's most beautiful gift


I love trees. I love fresh air. I love beautiful wildflowers and wildlife. I love our pure, blue ocean and pristine beaches. I love the clear blue sky. I love watching the sunset and drinking clean rainwater.

For that reason, I am really sad that Kevin Rudd is being so tokenistic and short-sighted in his approach to climate change. The Emissions Trading Scheme he is blindly determined to introduce is not going to improve Australia's relationship with the environment. It may nominally balance carbon emissions but this small advantage will be outweighed by the incredibly complicated bureaucracy that will accompany it. Surely there are more simple and advantageous solutions available that don't involve an entirely new stock market and currency, stifling of the free market, a huge amount of red tape and soaring prices.

We need to get back to basics. A solution to climate change is not about having bragging rights at the next international summit. It's not about blithely copying the system adopted by other countries that clearly doesn't work. It's about being innovative, resourceful and independent; and making small, yet positive changes for the better. We need to protect Australian wildlife and preserve their natural habitats. We need to make public transport and bicycling convenient, accessible, pleasant and appealing for everybody. We need to compel companies to reduce their carbon emissions without imposing on the public. We need to instill a love for and connection with nature in children at school. We need to reject consumerism and focus on positivity and wellbeing. We need to buy canvas bags and actually use them (not leave them in the boot of the car!). We need to maintain beautiful nature parks and reserves for people and animals to enjoy. We need to provide subsidies to people who take the initiative to install solar power and rainwater tanks, who take care of injured or orphaned wild animals, who plant trees on their property, as well as businesses that promote environmentally conscious behaviour. We need to educate ourselves about bushfires and how to minimise their destruction. We need to learn to value quality over quantity. We need to subsidise and purchase from local, organic farmers. We need to, collectively, appreciate, respect and take responsibility for our beautiful, arid environment.

The ETS will not do any of these things. In fact, it will not do much at all.

“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.”
— Albert Einstein

My favourite beach, Meelup Beach in Dunsborough, Western Australia.

time flies


This is an incredibly beautiful lyrical jazz piece performed on Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. (It has not yet been aired in Australia so please only watch if you're happy to see two dancers in the top 12!)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

the real lover

“The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space.”
— Marilyn Monroe

how to get ready in five minutes and look amazing


Hair: Spray some Delorenzo dry shampoo in the roots of your hair, brush it out, sprinkle some Aveda Hair Potion through the crown and run some Bumble & bumble Brilliantine through the tips for sexy texture, definition and shine.

Skin: Use a cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating mask like Malin & Goetz Detox Mask. Rinse with warm water and follow with Clarins UV Day Screen SPF30+ (for day) or Le Blanc de Chanel (evening) to prep the skin.

Base: Pump some By Terry Light Expert onto the back of your hand and blend it all over the face and neck with your fingers, including on the eyelids and under the eyes. Do the same with the By Terry Bronze Expert, except only apply it where the sun naturally hits your face - cheeks, bridge of nose, brow bone, chin and forehead. Dust some translucent Fusion Beauty Brightening Mineral Powder all over, to set.

Eyes: Blend the Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes in E107 all over your eyelid and along the lower lashline, curl your lashes with the Utowa Eyelash Curler and apply Becca The Ultimate Mascara in Bronze to your top and bottom lashes. Use the excess mascara to tidy and shape your brows. Line the lower inner rim of your eye with a Utowa Eyeliner Pencil in Nude-White.

Cheeks and Lips: Apply some blush and lipstick in corresponding shades according to the look or mood you want to evoke. Nars has the most amazing blushes and beautiful lipstick shades:
  • Classic: Blush in Dolce Vita, lipstick in Dolce Vita
  • Natural: Blush in Luster, lipstick in Falbala
  • Fresh: Blush in Orgasm, lipstick in Niagara
  • Pretty: Blush in Oasis, lipstick in Sex Machine
  • Barely There: Blush in Deep Throat, lipstick in Blonde Venus
  • Peachy: Blush in Gina, lipstick in Barbarella
  • Girly: Blush in Desire, lipstick in Venice
  • Sophisticated: Blush in Mounia, lipstick in Senorita
  • Chic: Blush in Sin, lipstick in Shrinagar
  • Glamorous: Blush in Exhibit A, lipstick in Jungle Red
  • Bold: Blush in Mata Hari, Lipstick in Schiap

Finish with a touch of Nars Lipgloss in Triple X or Greek Holiday in the centre of your bottom lip.

Miscellaneous: Spritz some sexy, aphrodisiacal Escentric Molecules perfume, roll-on the infalliable Mitchum deodorant and inspect your nail polish - chips? Swirl your nails in a tub of Sally Hansen Kwik-Off to remove swiftly and go au naturale.

grace coddington




Tuesday, November 24, 2009

sometimes

"Sometimes someone says something really small and it just fits right into this empty place in your heart."
— ‘My So-Called Life’

Monday, November 23, 2009

women: myth and reality

In 1952 (or in 1951) the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir spent some time in Chicago visiting the writer Nelson Algren. During that visit the photographer Art Shay, who was Algren’s best friend and was 30 years old at that time, made his famous candid photo of Simone de Beauvoir getting dressed in the bathroom.


Art Shay wrote about his shot of Simone de Beauvoir the following.

… my friend Nelson Algren was upset because his rented apartment $ 10 per month had no bathtub or shower. So he asked me is there a place for Madame to bathe or shower. He warned me with a humorous that “Frenchy”, as he said, rarely closed the door of the bathroom, especially that of his apartment which the hinge was broken. I borrowed the keys to the apartment of a young woman I knew that were left under the doormat. I went to Nelson with Simone … about 15 minutes north to the apartment of my friend. … As a young photographer from Life Magazine, I had always my Leica with me. This day was no exception. … So I was there, intern photographer for Life Magazine (originally hired to carry the bags and write captions), when I saw Beauvoir emerged from the bath and her hair before the mirror. I took two or three quick shots and she heard the click. “You’re a naughty boy,” she said, but without closing the door or asking me to stop taking photos …

This photo has drawn public attention when appeared on the cover of french newsmagazine Nouvel Observateur on January 3, 2008.

(via fragments)

the fun theory

simple is beautiful

Sunday, November 22, 2009

fear and love

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life."
— John Lennon

summer beauty




Eyes: Nars cream eyeshadow in corfu, Stila smudge pot in black, Nars eyeshadow in bali (brows), Becca the ultimate mascara

Skin: By Terry soleil de rose freshtone hydra reviver in sunset, MAC face & body foundation, By Terry bronze expert cream blush in coral beach, Becca boudoir mineral foundation, Nars blush in luster, Nars bronzing powder in casino

Lips: Nars lipliner in tonga, Nars lipstick in falbala

(via Harper & Harley)

my darling

Saturday, November 21, 2009

the woods at the end of autumn street

I read this book one summer when I was nine and it cemented its place in my heart. The story is narrated by an adult recounting her experiences as a six-year-old, a year spent living with her grandparents in Pennsylvania during the Second World War while her father fought overseas. It is a beautifully written semi-autobiographical short novel by Lois Lowry that canvases such themes as love, friendship, race, death, family, war, innocence, mental illness and class, all through the eyes of a curious child trying to make sense of the adult world. This story never fails to warm my heart, and bring tears to my eyes.

francoise hardy

























Friday, November 20, 2009

sail away

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain

paris inspiration board

Thursday, November 19, 2009

8. engage in a fulfilling weekly routine

Daily: Go swimming or jogging, cook, makeup & skincare regime, green tea, dance cardio, write, eat chocolate-covered strawberries, kiss Andy, early morning walk, blowdry hair, update my blog, take photographs.

Twice weekly: Yoga class, go to the beach, paint nails, go out and dress up, do food shopping, tidy my room, work, give myself a facial, pack lunches for uni, check favourite blogs.

Weekly: Read a novel, watch Mad Men & Glee, see a film, do volunteer work, download a new music album, empty my handbag, organise uni notes, bake cupcakes for my brothers.

men

"Men aren’t stupid, and you don’t need a complicated set of rules to find a good one who loves you. Here’s the only rule you need: if a man loves you, he will do anything he can to keep you around. Anything."
— Unknown

8 questions to figure out your life

1. What do I want my life to look like?

2. What do I want your life to look like on a daily basis?

3. What would I like to be able to say I truly know in my life about my life?

4. How would I like to be with other people in my life – friends, family, business associates, customers, employees, community?

5. How would I like people to think about me?

6. What do I want to be doing 2,10,20 years from now? At the end of my life?

7. What would I like to learn in my life?

8. How much money will I need, and when?

(via Tynan: Life Outside the Box, based upon The E-Myth Revisited)

favourite fashion blogs

1. Garance Dore.



Garance is an extremely talented photographer and illustrator, and she writes in such a hilarious, endearing way.

2. The Cherry Blossom Girl.



Put simply, I adore her style and covet her life.




Swedish blogger Sandra's beautiful photographs gives us a glimpse into her gorgeous, fun-filled life.




I cannot go past the original streetstyle photographer (and Garance's boyfriend - she is the photographer in the second photo). He has such an eye for fresh, original, beautiful style.




A glimpse into creative people's beautiful, inspirational homes and lives.




Betty is another Parisienne who has amazing, affordable style and doesn't take herself too seriously.


I have just discovered this blog by a gorgeous Brisbane fashionista who is my style aesthetic twin.




This Italian blogger is so fun and vivacious, plus her boyfriend is incredibly gorgeous.