Opera House

The Opera House, designed by the Danish architect Utzon, who passed away today. It really is quite a stunning building and I think it's a huge achievement to come up with a new building that is at once incredibly iconic and original. It's quite something..

Generic terrorists attack

Watched with stunned horror the pictures on the news of the muslim attacks on Mumbai. The horror of being hunted by these killers, bent on singling out Brits and Americans. They also attacked a hospital (classy..) and a Jewish club. The sheer terror of finding yourself in a hotel with assassins on the loose, roaming the corridors.

The weird thing, though, was that while I watched the news on the ABC (Australia's equivalent to the equally left-wing BBC) the word 'islamic' or 'muslim' was never uttered. Not once. Apparently, the perpetrators were generic 'terrorists'. Nothing to do with islam or muslims at all, what made you think they did?

At a push, much later in the day, there was some obligatory speculation about which group was responsible. The media likes to have a handy little label to apply. It doesn't matter what they call themselves. Troublesome jihadi muslims; samo samo..

Learn to play poker with no risk

There are many ways to have fun and there are many ways to earn money. Poker is a way in which you can have some fun and also have a chance of making some money in the process. And who wouldn’t like that? I found this site where you can play poker for free and win real money, so what could be better? Check out this great site for more information.

O sole mio

I had some business in Leichhardt, the Italian part of town and enjoyed seeing all the coffee bars, cafes, barbershops, bakeries and so on. It had a bustling and lively feel to it. I may go back there for a meal at one of the many restaurants some time soon. I'll make myself an offer I can't refuse.

Check out Operation Mojo!

Of course you will know Nat and Alex Wolff from the great ‘The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie’. You will be familiar with Nat and Alex’s adventures on the show and in their band. You may even know some of their hits such as ‘I Could Be’, ‘Changing’ or even ‘Alien Clones’. These guys are a lot of fun, to put it mildly. On their great website you can even download fan badges to put on your own myspace website.

Also on the website you can check tour dates and upcoming events, so you don’t have to miss a thing. So far, it’s all good as they say but there is also some bad news to report, I’m afraid. The fact is that Nat has lost his Mojo, would you believe it, and now the Band needs to head to the woods for some serious Dudification, no less.
Time to man up and find your Mojo again, Nat!

The great thing is, however, that today, Saturday, the twenty second of November, you can tune in to enjoy a live chat with Nat and Alex Wolff of the Naked Brothers Band. Can you believe it? This is all part of the brand new premiere of Operation Mojo, so go and check it out; it’s great fun!

A fascinating evening

Last night saw me dining and tripping the light fantastic at the fifty anniversary ball of Sydney's Tranby College. This is a unique educational institute for Aboriginal students and it was a privilege to be invited to their great party. The venue was the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton on George Street. There was great food and wine, music by Freshwater and Buddy Knox. The compere was a very funny and cheeky performer who cracked a few great controversial gags.

One of the Aunties told us a personal story of being one of the stolen generation. This was incredibly moving. All in all it was a fabulous evening that stretched easily into the next day.

Attraction

Wouldn’t we all like to know the secret of how to seduce a woman like a genuine full-fledged lothario? How did Casanova do it, really? Some women will say it’s not just about looks but a man needs to have a sense of humour and a modicum of intelligence as well. I am sure that these factors have something to do with it but on a basic level there is also something like pheromone attraction that comes into play in the interaction between the sexes.

After all, research has shown that human beings are highly adept at "sniffing out" compatible sexual partners. It has been proven that natural body scents play a crucial part in deciding whether we find someone attractive. The latest research was published by the Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center in the journal of Psychological Science. Using brain scans, researchers were in a positon to show that synthetic pheromones stimulated the brains of heterosexual women.

This is a sponsored post. SB

A new plastic surgery therapy

Today, there are many things we can change about our lives if we feel the need to make alterations to any given situation or status quo. There hare huge medical advances reported all of the time and technology moves forwards at a hurtling pace. If you have a problem then chances are that there might well be an appropriate solution.

Likewise, there are developments in the field of plastic surgery. Take for instance the
Denver Plastic Surgery founded by Dr John A. Grossman that can offer DOT therapy on an exclusive basis. DOT therapy is a new and exciting way to enhance the appearance of damaged and aged skin!

Grossman Plastic Surgery was founded in 1975 and it has been the goal of this fine surgery to assist its patients toward the goal of living beautifully.

This is a sponsored post. B

Aerial

I am busy trying to get the aerial connection point in my apartment set up. As I speak there are men drilling and working in the attic and in some of the other flats so hopefully it will be sorted out soon. That would mean I can get myself a set top box and get some digital channels, which would be good. A review of Australian television will follow here at some point. There is some good stuff on offer, I have to say.

Great quality work wear

Don’t you just love when you’ve got your self some great new clothes? Most people like to look good in a new set of clothes or at least to feel comfortable in their work wear. Even better is when your work wear is of excellent durable quality. If you like fine quality clothes then look no further. Let me tell you. Carhartt has a great range of work wear on offer for you.


The company of Carhartt first started out producing a pair of overalls for the railroad workers. These days Carhartt is renowned for the durable quality of work wear. You really cannot lose with Carhartt. Their fine clothes are comfortable, which is important, and they last, which is very good news. Give them a go and you won’t regret it, guaranteed!

Carhartt’s clothes last longer and have flame resistant protection. This is a very good characteristic if you happen to work in an industry that requires flame resistant work gear. And, don’t forget, Carhartt has a full range of work wear, from ‘hats to boots’ as they say. Check them out when you get a chance; Carhartt's has some fabulous stuff on offer. Have a look for your self.

This is a sponsored post. BV

Recession talk

There is now a lot of talk of recession here in Australia. I am sure that we won't get away unscathed in view of the credit crunch and international financial wobbles. But, hopefully China will be keeping up investment in Australia. Of course, the AUD is weak so it will attract investment and that will be good for export and tourism. I don't know. People seem genuinely worried. I just hope that the pundits who say that Australia is well-placed to deal with the downturn are right.

Don't go there

When you travel you get to learn to adapt and enjoy whatever twists and turns the road ahead delivers. You know when to be philosophical when things are not exactly ideal or as you would have expected them to be. This is only natural. And, of course you will have your preferences and predilections when it comes to travelling and vacation destinations. For me, having travelled around Europe and a bit in Asia and Australia, I have definite favourites when it comes to which places I enjoyed the most.

If I had to say to someone don't go there because chances are you will not like it, I would have to offer large parts of the city of Athens as a potential candidate. I loved seeing the Acropolis, which towers over the otherwise grimy and monotonous sprawl of a city. Also, the old Turkish area of the Plakka is worthwhile. But when it comes to the joys of travel I would have gladly skipped most of Athens. It is a huge place and quite dirty and most of the uninspired architecture is of concrete and almost identical to every other building in the city.

I loved Greece but thought that parts of Athens were just quite awful. And I am not even mentioning the pollution and smog. Well, I have now, so there. If you find yourself in Athens make sure you escape to one of the wonderful islands and you’ll be okay.

Funny and strange

It is funny and strange to think that I live in Sydney, Australia now. How strange a thing life can be, really. I always dreamt of doing just this: to make my way back to the place of my birth. It was always this big thing in front of me and in the back of my mind. And now, after so many years, the dream has become real. This week I have had some more time to myself and I have been a bit more contemplative. Moving to a new country is not always easy but I have done it before when I relocated from Holland to the U.K.

Of course, circumstances are very different but I know that I will be okay. At some fundamental level you just have to trust your self and to have faith in your own bounce-backability, if you forgive me the usage of such an inane sounding term.

Life can be wonderful and also terrible. But dreams can come true, take it from me..

A dip in the pool

Yesterday I went for a swim in the local tidal pool. It was gorgeous to just float about a bit and cool off on a hot day. Of course, it being a tidal pool, I was swimming in-between fishes and what not but that did not bother me at all. It was fabulous to go for a swim again. I had not done that in ages. I will be back there soon.

Life in a new country

It has been just over a month that I left England’s shores and went off to find a new life here in Australia. How do I feel? I feel very well and not at all apprehensive about the future to any great extent. Perhaps that is also to do with the relaxed attitude of most people here. Nothing much seems to worry them and I hope some of that laid-back approach will rub off on me.

Getting a great degree

Everyone knows full well that studying for a degree can help anyone increase their chances of a having a good career. And, of course it goes without saying that it is always a good idea to increase your skills base and keep working on improving your study or work situation. After all, studying in your very own free time and when you like to plan your studies in-between your other activities is a great way to gain a qualification of any kind. Studying for an online university degree at a renowned institution such as Capella University could be the answer for you. Don’t forget that there is a whole range of courses to choose from and they provide degree qualifications on many levels and in a wide variety of subjects.

“This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Arty

Corner of Balmain Town Hall which is presently undergoing extensive refurbishing. This area has some lovely houses and buildings dotted around that seem to catch you unawares, just when you're turning a corner. I love the exotic look of some of the properties and just delight in going for a walk through the winding streets and back lanes. Haven't made it down to the harbour pool yet but I will when it gets hotter. What a great place to live..