Northern Beaches..

My Northern Beaches

Revenge of the Nerd

KEVIN Rudd has given an interview in which he opens up about wanting to shape Australia's future well into the next decade.

Oh dear. Poor Labour supporters, they removed one disaster and replaced him with an even bigger disaster and are now looking at having to have disaster no. 1 back again. Bloody hell..

Cream-crackered

Feeling a bit knackered after a long working day. Just taking it easy with my wonderful Mrs. We enjoyed a nice meal which I'd fashioned with me own two hands, thank you very much. Loads of veggies and some nice tuna with cracked pepper. Meanwhile, we watched Masterchef and its plethora of crying contestants. 

Service

Went along to an Anglican service this morning. Beautiful ceremony, very familiar to me as a Papist. Solemn, sincere and still. I think it's what they call High Church Anglicanism. It felt good and it felt right to me. Met some lovely people over coffee afterwards. Nice way to start the week..

Possums

Off to see Dame Edna at the Capitol Theatre tonight. Once in a life time as it's Barry Humphries's farewell tour. I can't believe I'll see the Dame, Sir Les Patterson for real.

I knew it!

In today's Daily Telegraph's entertainment section:

Bird poo keeps Cruise youthful

Guests

Having a friend over to stay and socialising this weekend. It's good to unwind and entertain some good company. Just finished a ripper meal of San Chow Bow and Green Curry that my good lady and I whipped up. Nice, chilled-out evening.

Sebastien Teller

I just love the graceful melancholy in this enigmatic track: http://youtu.be/Zub1-8l0bnU

My latest book

Did I mention that my latest poetry book is available? It's title is The Sun-doused Arrival, and it explores my voyage of change to my settling down in my native Sydney and finding love at long last.

Check it out by clicking the button.

Avalon

In the Mood

Life can be tough at times, I think we can all agree on that sobering fact. Time is in short supply these days and almost every one you speak to complains about the fact that they are so incredibly busy. I, for one, am no exception. There are stresses and strains that sometimes seem insurmountable. It is rather important therefore to adopt a working strategy to deal effectively with the stresses of modern life. For some it may just be some Party enhancers that can make all the difference on a good night out. And why not? 

It is a good idea sometimes to kick back and enjoy a good time partying. For others, they may be more after the idea of having some K6 herbal incense, a legal herbal product for the good people at Herbal City LLC. There is something for everyone’s taste, after all. 

 There are even some great Spiritual powders to lift your mood and enhance your overall sense of well being, and let us face it, who would not like that? I ask you. It is good to know these wholly legal mood enhancing herbal products are available in a safe and secure manner. Help is at hand..

Lazy

Lazy Public Holiday, happy birthday Queen Elizabeth, scrambled eggs, raining outside, snug within. Life is good..

Doximity

I think we all appreciate it when we have access to a good doctor. I count my blessings that I consider myself fortunate enough to have an excellent physician at my disposal. The general practitioner in question just happens to be reliable as well as accessible and what is more I have come to trust his medical judgment. I ask myself if he is on the same page as Toni Butler, MD and if he is aware of developments in the field of social medicine. 

Obviously, we have all to some degree become accustomed with social media and we are used to how we can connect with others through social media platforms, which, after all, are growing more widely used as we speak. But now we have a social application which is called Doximity. This application could prove to be a genuine asset to physicians of any kind who might be interested in increasing their engagement with social medicine. 

The members of Doximity can locate and connect with theier colleagues, and also communicate easily in a wide array of different ways, all of them HIPAA-compliant. More than this, Doximity also boasts the very best database of physician profiles you will find anywhere in the world.

Medical application

There are doctors and then there are doctors. I happen to consider myself fortunate enough to have access to a very good physician. My general practitioner is reliable, accessible and I have come to trust his judgment and also his approach to medical treatment. I wonder if he might be like Michelle Kachman, MD and I would not mind finding out his opinion on social medicine. 

We have all become accustomed with social media and to varying degrees most of us have become very familiar with how we can connect with others through social media platforms, which, let us face it, are growing more influential all the time. There is now a social application called Doximity which could prove to be a genuine asset to physicians who might be interested in increasing their involvement with social medicine. 

Members of Doximity are able to locate and connect with their colleagues, and also communicate with them in a host of different ways, all of them HIPAA-compliant. Moreover, Doximity also boasts the best database of physician profiles anywhere in the world.

Science News

We certainly live in a fascinating, even bewildering world. When you look around you wherever you go, you will find something to find wonderment in. It can be something huge, such as a glistening mountain peak or you may consider the amazing complexity of the human brain. To make sense of the world around us we have several tools at our disposal, one of which is, all things considered, science in all its many manifestations. 

I like reading about science technology news 2012 in a variety of media but recently I was lucky enough to come across SciTechDaily and instantly I was hooked on this fabulous website. Here, you will find all the latest science news and information and in great depth and scope. 

Whether your interest is in biology or technology or space, you will find all the latest science news items right there on this great science news resource. Just check out SciTechDaily.com and you will be thrilled. 

And not only will you find the most accurate science information but this site also offers a wide array of Expedia coupons and other vouchers from which you can benefit greatly. Look no further for the best in discount coupons and also great promo codes which you can use at all your favourite online stores.

Somewhere Down the Road, review

This is music to enchant and thrill. I just love this EP by Sydney-based artist Ilias. Its evocative title 'Somewhere Down the Road' is apt for the listening experience that follows. All four tracks are tied together by a most elegant mood of melancholy and, dare I say, longing. The cool jazzy guitar sets the tone; mellow and laid-back. You can sense a breeze coming in from the beach in the colours and textures of 'My Girl with Blue Eyes', in my opinion one of the strongest of the tracks on this excellent EP. In fact, in a very subtle way Ilias's songs seem to reference that cool, chilled Brazilian style of music. 

And yet, Ilias's voice ensures an originality that is impressive and refreshing. 'Regret' is memorable and reminiscent of loss and acceptance. 'Somewhere Down the Road' carries the sophisticated aura of this album forward. In short, Ilias is a startlingly skilful musician but more than that his music and voice are eminently uplifting, beautiful and sincere.

Afternoon Gardens

Eurovision Horror Contest

Once again the mega over the top Freak Show that is Eurovision Song Contest rolled around. This year the venue was that not quite European city of Baku. We were in for a treat. My own compatriots, true to form, presented an embarrassing episode that didn't make it to the final. In fact, the Dutch entry was plain silly, with a girl singing and playing the guitar whilst on her head we spotted a huge Native American tribal head dress. Why?

Engelbert Humperdinck, bless him, gathered very few votes but perhaps should have known that not one country in Europe ever gives any votes to the UK, except sometimes for Ireland. And they didn't on this occasion. They were lots of beefy blokes dancing in skirts, crazy outfits every where. The usual bombastic and dramatic Eastern European power ballads all blended into one after a while.

I couldn't really get into the favourite, and ultimate winner, Sweden. I liked Denmark's entry but typically no one else seem to. And so we had fun at home, laughing at mad, naff and camp Europe, happy to have escaped to the Asia-Pacific region.

In the eye of the beholder

Beauty. What can you say about a notion such as beauty? So much, really. It has been the central theme of a million works of art, philosophical treatises, books, songs, operas, musicals and more besides. It is the stuff of legends, hard to grasp, and inevitably mysterious and utterly subjective to a large degree. But, you may have also heard the well known phrase ‘beauty is skin deep.’ 

Be that as it may, the reality remains that one can do an awful lot to present one’s self to the best possible result. After all, every one enjoys looking and feeling good. And if you look good, chances are you are feeling good. Somewhere where they know all about these things is for instance Regency Cosmetology Schools where you can do a variety of great courses in the field of beauty and cosmetology. 

Their campuses are excellent, and are spread out across the United States. Graduates from this outstanding institution are highly regarded and are sure to have rewarding careers in this fascinating field. 

 This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 3583 Alpine Avenue NW – Walker, MI 49544

Scary..

..watching Eurovision..the horror, the horror..

Funkadelic

Went along to see Prince right here in Sydney the other day. What a night! What a consummate performer. Some may have wanted The Symbol to play more of his long catalogue of mega-hits. Personally, I was just happy to see the Funkmeister General strut his stuff with such style and musical acumen. He was on top form and the band really got into the cool, infectious vibe. 

Inspiration

Went along to an author's talk at my local library the other day. The writer performing was one Peter Coriss, who had penned many crime fiction novels. The talk was okay, not overwhelming and I have to admit that I have little interest in crime novels. Also, he seemed a bit too proud of his anti-Christian prejudices but I was heartened to note the audience responding in lukewarm fashion to a few of his jibes. But, it was a free event, organised by the library and the Sydney Writers Festival so I was happy enough to partake.

What made it inspirational was the fact here we had a seventy-year old writer, successfully enjoying the attention of his readership in a rather laid-back manner, taking questions with a measure of grace. It was fun to see him in action. He'd obviously done this many times but it made me think. It made me realise it may not be too late for me to gain some literary success before I'm put out to pasture. It was, all things considered, food for thought..

Flaming hide

The Gillard seeks to revive some desperate old-style Labour class war shenanigans by claiming Opposition leader Abbott doesn't understand the pressures 'working families' are under due to the fact that he resides in affluent North Sydney. Gasp.

Who was it that inflicted a carbon tax on Aussie families? Who doesn't even have a family of her own?

It's one thing to say something controversial or even offensive but one should make sure it's not as stupid as this. Prime Minister Julia 'The Dunce' Gillard. 

Amazing freebie site

Well, I suppose we can more or less all agree that to a large extent money is tight these days. I don’t think I am alone in making that particular assertion. Wherever you look, prices seem to be on the increase, whether it happens to be the price of petrol, energy, food and groceries. You know what I mean, I am fairly sure that you have been there, as have I. 

 Now then, if that is the case you will most likely welcome some good news. Are you like me and do you like a bargain? It is my guess that you probably do. Listen up close as there is a site I need to tell you about that could save you some serious bucks and then some. Check out www.all-free-samples.com to find a treasure trove of freebies and great attractive bargains. 

Do not wait too long, just go and have a look and grab one of the great deals featured on All Free Samples, simply a fabulous site that you should not miss out on. Whether you are looking for the best in free online games, books and magazines or even perfume and cologne, this is the site for you. 

 Just be kind to your self and head on over to FreeCatcher.com and treat your self to some amazing free offers and some outstanding deals.

Diminutive Genius

Seeing Prince tomorrow night at the All Phones Arena. Really looking forward to it. Party like it's 1999? You bet!

Gillardism

She can't help it, the opposition leader is too negative. She couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery but she's not accountable. It's because she is a woman and the populace just isn't giving her a fair go. The carbon tax is a good thing, apparently, and not really a problem because the cost of living is incredibly high anyway. It's nice to know that Labour think that ruining the Australian economy will result in decreasing the Earth's temperature. Sounds like a fail-safe plan, how could it not be a roaring success?

Sun

Ra, the Sun God is high in the firmament, and all is well..

Labour self-destructing..

..sometimes watching the news is quite uplifting.

Whinge Fest

The other day I was listening to the ABC radio feed of their discussion programme Q&A, for my sins. I suppose I get a perverse pleasure out of getting frustrated with the politically correct left-wing bias as perennially portrayed by our publicly funded national broadcaster.

In amongst the usual anti-big business paranoia and general down-with-us shouting some Sudanese audience member starting whining about the lack of a fair go in the work place for him and other people from Africa in Australia. The many problems with crime and gang culture in the Sudanese immigrant community was nothing to worry about. 

The real scandal was that this type had a job but it meant he had to commute for a time period of..brace yourselves..25 minutes each day. I think we white Aussies really need to hang our heads in shame for forcing this poor man to drive for nearly half an hour to work. I mean, honestly..

Geek Heaven

And the geeks shall inherit the earth. So is written but whether you are a geek or not, gadgets are of interest to a much wider demographic, all things considered. The best toys for boys, geek gadgets for lasses and lads, the snazziest devices; we do love them don’t we? Go on, be honest. For the best Geek Toys 2012 you need now look no further than Geekalerts.com. 

Check it out and you will see what I am on about in the wink of an eye, if not faster. I do suggest you have a look around this gadget paradise. They have all the latest news on gadgets, all the cool toys and will keep you up to date with the most recent happening trends, don’t you worry. They also have ways to save you money such as these amazing Petsmart coupons which will be most handy if you are looking to save a few pennies of your hard earned dosh. 

 But that is not all, not by any means. Check out this fabulous Amazon promotional code which will save you loads of cash. So, get your Geek on and take a walk on the geek alerts side. You will most definitely not regret checking out this treasure trove of all things geek. The best in tech toys and smart gadgets, you can not afford to miss out on this!

Sweet

Enjoyable weekend. No stress, no hassle. Good vibes and just relaxation Central.
Bought a new mattress so it's off to the Land of Nod later on. Yeah, baby!

Happy Easter

The Lord is truly risen..

Snags

Feasted on some gorgeous Italian bangers for brekkie this morning. On the weekend, my wife and I enjoy sharing a breakfast at one of our local cafes, it's a real joy to relax and start the day in this way.
Luckily, we're spoilt for choice around where we live.

Near Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains

Aussie politics is serious business

Romance

Just had Valentine's Day and I enjoyed spoiling my darling wife. I had arranged for some roses to be delivered to her work and in the evening I took her out for a splendid intimate meal, overlooking the harbour. Being a poet, I of course also penned a love-filled verse for my sweetheart.

At work that day, I asked a few of my male colleagues whether they'd be doing anything special for their other halves. One said: "Not really. I'm having a meal cooked for me." Another one said his girlfriend of eight years didn't really expect any special attention from him anymore. Lastly, an Italian male colleague started whingeing about Valentine's Day being commercial nonsense. I thought to myself, it's a sad day when the Italians no longer believe in romance. Surely, that cannot be?

We-Vibe

Fun and games is pretty good, isn't it? Of course, I can already hear you say that life is not always just filled with fun and games. Obviously, I am quite aware of this, my dear reader. But just because we as adults find our lives replete with responsibilities and mundane demands on our time, that does by no stretch of of the imagination have to mean that we can no longer have fun, or just play, if you will.

Many couples have incorporated fun toys such as the we-vibe into their regular amorous pursuits and have thus enhanced their pleasure and mutual enjoyment.

By all means check out the we-vibe 3 as well, while you are at it (pardon the pun..) and see if it might be something you would like to play around with. All work and no play makes Jack and Jill a dull boy and girl, after all.

Quiz time..

Where in Sydney is this?

Woe is her

With friends like Bob Brown..Gillard doesn't need Tony Abott. The leader of the looney left Green Party, Bob Brown, has announced that our hapless PM Julia Gillard is being treated unfairly. Criticism of her myriad of failed policies is tantamount to, cue the magic word..sexism. Hey Presto. So she's not doing bad job on  her own accord, she's just being treated badly by her opponents because she is a woman. So in a ludicrous roundabout way, Brown is saying that the reason we have such a woeful government and such a weak and disastrous PM is because our Brave Leader is a woman. Who's being sexist here? She can't hide behind such ridiculous efforts at passing the buck. I suspect she won't thank Brown for leaping to her defense in a manner of speaking by suggesting she should cower and say to the nasty Liberals: 'Stop picking on me, I'm only a girlie.'

With friends like these..

Walgreens Discount

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Money makes the world to around, the world go around..you get the idea. In an ideal world perhaps one would be able to should be able to get by without having to earn money and spend money. Perhaps. I am  not quite sure. However, for most of us mere mortals reality dictates with a vengeance that we will always have to pay our way in life, and let us face it, the bills will always keep coming no matter what we do, that much is certain.

That is why, in al earnestness, it can be a really big help sometimes to find some genuine savings. Or at least a way to cut down on expenses that can be very helpful to most working families. We all need some help on this front, am I right or am I right? I think you will agree with me on this. Consider, for instance, the Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens which you may well have  heard about already. This is a wonderful way to earn a discount on  your Walgreens prescriptions, a very welcome discount I might add. Check it out as you will be pleasantly surprised. Amazingly, the prices of the savings club as as follows: For  just $35 a year a membership for a family will cover every member of your immediate family. This includes a spouse, dependents of 22 years of age and younger as well as pets. $20 is the membership for individuals. Sign up and start saving on your prescriptions!Y

You can even check  out Walgreens on Twitter if you like and support them there. And of course, let us not forget to like Walgreens on Facebook. You know it makes sense.

Good Day

Had quite a productive day. First got up early, and on a Saturday too, and drove my wife to her gym class, then came back home to show the landlord's handyman some repairs that needed to be carried out.

Then posted an item all the way to Tasmania and had a bacon and egg roll and a glorious long black (that's a coffee..). At this point it was time to drive over to Ashfield to a giant hardware store (where they had a cafe they named 'The Hardware Cafe', I do love a tenuous pun..) to pick up a line trimmer for my mother in law.

Then came back and did assorted chores around the home. Tonight, my darling wife and I will be relaxing together, enjoying an episode of Midsummer Murders und a well-earned cuppa. So there..

Gingerella

Prime Minister threatened with violence by angry mob. No arrests, no charges. Embarrassing..

Valient

Brave Hewitt went out last night. Valiently..

Ripper!

Leighton Hewitt played well last night, in the match with surly Roddick. I noticed an ease and confidence in the Aussie's style that had been absent recently. At one point I thought Roddick might spit the dummy but no such luck. At least there's another Aussie through and tonight we'll see electrifying Tomic in action again. Ripper!

Sporto

The Australian Open rages once more, down in Melbourne, and once again I am hooked. What a glorious game to watch is tennis. From Tomic coming back strong to win convincingly, Federer's style and grace, Murray's mercurial wiles, it's a joy to behold. What mental agility as well as acumen and fitness these players must possess in order to perform like this.

Top Gear Drive

Sydney is one big town and today, once again, that was brought home to me as I drove my family out west to Emu Plains to see the relatives. Didn't get to see any emus, mind you, plain or otherwise. But leaving the bright lights of the central part of the city, my trusted GPS voice said as we entered the M4: "Continue straight for 47 kilometres.." 

Sad state of affairs for pharmacies

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It comes to something when a perfectly functioning arrangement between providers and pharmacies is unilaterally broken off, causing inconvenience and chaos to so many patients and pharmacy patrons. What on earth is going on, you may well ask. Allow me to elaborate on this situation involving Walgreens and Express Scripts . It is quite unfortunate and, for some of those involved, positively heart breaking to say the least.

For ages, Walgreens had an agreemen with Express scripts that seemed to work absolutely okay for all those involved. Customers liked the fact that they enjoyed loyalty benefits and also Walgreens outstanding competive pricing, not to mention the Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens .

Because Walgreens is now no longer part of Express Scripts customers are unhappy that they have to change their familiar pharmacies  but they are now also  finding that in some cases they are having to travel further to find a suitable pharmacy, depending on their specific personal needs.

 

Tricare, as you may or may not know happens to be the health and prescription drug scheme for the U.S. military service. They are one of Express Scripts clients. Walgreens went out on a limb when it offered press Scripts an water tight assurance that Walgreens prices would match or even beat the average costs per adjusted prescription of all other pharmacies that are actually within the Tricare network.  Walgreens after all did not want brave men and women losing out unnecessarily. All to no avail, I hasten to add.

 

Check out more information on Walgreens on Twitter and you can show your support for Walgreens there as welll as here with Walgreens on Facebook .

Christmas provided a welcome break for me and my loved-ones. A break from work, from everyday cares, from always being in a rush to get everything done. It was also a very peaceful time and a most welcome break from the Droning One, our spectacularly ungainly PM Gillard. She's back though. Comforting flood survivors in Brisbane, sucking up to Japanese whalers, preparing her daggers to knife K-Rudd all over again. The droning has started right up again. Is it Easter yet?

Out and About

Just the other day, my wife and I were enjoying a few days off over the Christmas period and we decided to go and visit Vaucluse House, an estate in the Eastern Suburbs. The drive there was gorgeous, along Rose Bay and into exclusive Vaucluse. The house and grounds were lovely, not too ostentatious and I enjoyed reading the history of the Wentworth family, erstwhile residents. It would make for a ripper film or  telly drama with all the requisite ingredients; convict heritage, high society intrigue, exploration, daring entrepreneurism, scandal concerning births out of wedlock, exotic travel and more besides.