Elizabeth November 19th, 2009
Tim and I get the giggles whenever we see this ad on TV. Of course, commenters on the YouTube video have completely missed the point, and accused Cadbury of peddling poisonous chocolate to dogs.
Le sigh.
If you’re reading this from the other side of the world you won’t be familiar with their other recent ads. They’re so weird, but so good…
Elizabeth November 18th, 2009
Phillip Toledano is a photographer, born in London to an American father and a French Moroccan mother. He lives and works in New York City.
I’m sure I could devote many posts to his incredible fashion and editorial portfolio, which is full of clever and brave concepts that have been brilliantly executed with technical skill. But today I thought I’d share with you just one of his projects, Days with My Father.
Days with My Father is a powerful photo essay which documents the photographer’s final three years with his father. He begins with the following passage:
My Mum died suddenly on September 4th, 2006.
After she died, I realized how much she’d been shielding me from my father’s mental state.
He doesn’t have alzheimers, but he has no short-term memory, and is often lost.
I took him to the funeral, but when we got home he kept asking me every 15 minutes where my mother was. I had to explain over and over again, that she had died.
This was shocking news to him.
Why had no-one told him?
Why hadn’t I taken him to the funeral?
Why hadn’t he visited her in the hospital?He had no memory of these events.
After a while, I realized I couldn’t keep telling him that his wife had died. He didn’t remember, and it was killing both of us, to constantly re-live her death.
I decided to tell him she’d gone to Paris, to take care of her brother, who was sick.
And that’s where she is now.
This is a journal.
An ongoing record of my father, and of our relationship.
For whatever days we have left together.
“My dad is an amazing storyteller…”
“I asked my father to look in the mirror, while I took his photograph…”
Sometimes, when we’re talking,
my dad will stop, and sigh,
and close his eyes.It’s then that I know, that he knows.
About my mum.
About everything.
Days with My Father is compulsory viewing, and deserves far more than a summary on this little blog. I hope you’ll go and see if for yourself.
Phillip Toledano’s book “Days with My Father” will be published in June 2010. While you’re waiting, you can buy his other books Phonesex and Bankrupt at his site.
With thanks to Kit from That Unreliable Girl.
Elizabeth November 17th, 2009
This is the latest offering from Hark, a Vagrant. Kate Beaton is so weird sometimes, I love it…
Elizabeth November 17th, 2009
Click to see the full-size chart.
Today I began Week 8 of Couch to 5K! I ran my longest time and distance yet – 4.6km (2.9 miles) in 28 minutes. It’s hardly a record-breaking pace, but I did it.
And I only have five runs to go before I can cross this one off my list!
Today I chose a new route, and seriously overestimated the time I expected the course to take. I found myself very close to home with 13 minutes still to run – it was devastating! Digging up the motivation to keep running for that long was really difficult because I’d already fallen into “home stretch” headspace.
I dealt with it by setting small short-term goals, and used a long uphill stretch of road to take my mind off the clock. I discovered that lungburn will take your mind off almost any problem.
It was a beautiful afternoon to be out running; the sun was out, and there was a beautiful cool breeze. There were a lot of other runners on the road, and I couldn’t help but make some observations. First of all, drivers will almost always wave you across the road if you run “on the spot” at an intersection. The sight of an impending cardiac arrest seems to bring out the charitable side of most people! Secondly, most other runners will acknowledge you with a nod or a smile as you pass. It’s like a secret club.
(Thirdly, those runners who choose to ignore your very existance are always – without exception – women. Women who suddenly run taller and faster until they’re out of your line of sight!)
My iphone buzzed in my hand about 800m from home to let me know that my 28 minutes was up. Despite the fact that I felt physically spent, I decided to see how long I could sprint at full pace. I was amazed to discover that I was able to sprint an entire block, more than 60 seconds, after my 28 minute run! It really blows my mind that I have come so far, given that 60 seconds of jogging was the absolute limit of my stamina in Week 1.
There’s really no denying that interval training programs such as C25K can produce incredible, measurable results.
It’s hard to believe that this time next week I will be running my last week of the program. I’d better hurry up and figure out what I’m going to do once it’s finished – you can bet that I won’t be undoing any of my hard work!
Elizabeth November 16th, 2009
Last week, for the first time in my life, I was treated for skin cancer.
About three years ago I noticed a strange bump on my forearm. Growing up in Queensland, the skin cancer capital of the world, I knew better than to ignore any changes in my skin. The first GP I saw told me not to worry, telling me that it was most likely a blocked pore.
The general advice that you hear is to visit your doctor if a bump, lump or mark changes – especially if it changes colour. My bump evolved several times during those three years, but it was only two weeks ago that a doctor took it seriously. So seriously, in fact, that I was immediately referred to a specialist for its removal.
Last Thursday I lay on the bed in the doctor’s room and concentrated very hard on the corner of the ceiling above my head. To my left, the doctor administered a local anaesthetic and carved the malignant cells out of my arm. While there wasn’t any real pain during the procedure, I did have to experience all the other sensations that went with it – the tugging of my skin against the stitches, the sensation of blood dripping down my arm. It wasn’t my favourite way to spend an afternoon.
My intention is not to gross you out. I guess I just want to explain how this little “bump” I had lived with for so long was suddenly being described as a “lesion”, and how quickly my doctors acted to cut it out of my body before it could do any further damage. All the what ifs suddenly came to the forefront of my mind.
As I was saying, I wasn’t really planning to blog about it because nobody likes pictures of medical procedures. But one day after my little operation, I received this email:
Dear Elizabeth,
Hope you’re well
I’m writing to see whether you would be interested in supporting the latest summer campaign from Cancer Council Australia, which this year is all about helping teens to understand the dangers of excessive sunbaking.
The message is simple: there’s no healthy way to tan.
But before you say ‘not another anti-tanning campaign’, you need to check out our snazzy new web application… It’s called ‘Sunsation’ and it works like this: teens upload a photo of themselves to the application, then sit back and watch as a ‘healthy glow’ develops. But at the same time as they are admiring the bronze glow, they start to notice a spot developing on their face. Within seconds it has turned into a large and nasty looking melanoma. Attached is a teaser to show you how it might work.
Suddenly a tan doesn’t seem so hot!
Sunsation is part of this year’s National Skin Cancer Action Week campaign (November 15-22), and I’m hoping that you might be able to help us by giving us a shout-out on your website, or by running the Sunsation banner (which we can have re-sized to suit your specs if need be).
Attached is a media release which will give you a bit more information about National Skin Cancer Week and what else we’ll be doing (including a large installation at Bondi)
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think you might be able to help!
Cheers,
Emma
I decided that serendipity was at play when I received this email, and that it was important to write about my experience. I am a person who has never actively sunbaked, but growing up in Cairns and Brisbane made sun exposure unavoidable. It is quite off-putting to think about how many times I went snorkelling out on the reef without reapplying sunscreen as often as I should, wearing nothing more than a bikini.
This is a picture of my dressed arm. If you don’t mind a bit of blood and guts, you can click here to see the wound in all its glory (WARNING: it’s not very beautiful).
National Skin Cancer Action Week raises awareness of skin cancer and sun protection issues at the start of the summer season. Hosted by the Cancer Council in conjunction with the Australasian College of Dermatologists, it runs from November 15-21 and involves a number of educational and promotional initiatives.
‘Don’t be a victim’ campaign
Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach became a massive ‘crime scene’ on Sunday, 15 November (start of National Skin Cancer Action Week) in a new Cancer Council campaign that graphically depicts the dangers of tanning.
Startled beachgoers were greeted by the sight of 1700 towels stretched across the sand, each emblazoned with a ‘crime scene’ chalk outline of a ‘victim’. The towels are a graphic representation of the 1700 Australians who die each year from skin cancer.
These aerial shots of the “crime scene” were especially effective (click to fullview):
Sunsation – Sun Tan Simulator
Are you curious to see how you would look with a tan?
Click the image below to open the Sunsation Sun Tan Simulator in a new window. This clever little web app allows you to upload a photo of yourself and see your tan develop. At the same time, you’ll see a spot form and gradually become a melanoma.
The message is clear – skin cancer is real, and it can kill. Treatment isn’t always as simple as cutting out the affected area – it can often spread throughout the body and do irreversible damage.
In recognition of National Skin Cancer Action Week, now is as good a time as any to be reminded of the “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign that we Aussie kids all grew up with!
And most of all? If you’re worried about any sort of change in your skin, get it checked out. Persevere if you’re unhappy with your doctor’s response. Get familiar with your skin’s condition, so that you will notice any developments.
It’s too important to put off.
Elizabeth November 15th, 2009
Heather Champ has been a staple of my RSS reader for a long time, probably thanks to mentions from Dooce and Maggie Mason over the years. She takes beautiful photographs, and these days helps others to do the same in her role as Community Manager at Flickr.
It came as a complete surprise to see this video in her latest blog post, given that I had no idea she was on holiday in Australia! This bridge is a Brisbane landmark, and has been special to me throughout my entire life. I think it’s really cool that somebody took the time to film it over the course of a day.
This video has reminded me that I need to take Tim on a CityCat ride along the river next month, when we’re back in town. I’m starting to get really excited about our little holiday!
Elizabeth November 14th, 2009
Leona Edmiston – Photo by Josh Evans
I spent a fantastic morning in the city today, dress shopping with a good friend. Our workmate had told us – in fairly evangelical terms – about the great sale that Leona Edmiston was having this weekend, and how amazed we would be with her dresses. So much so that she insisted that I try on the three dresses she had with her at work that day, just so that I could see for myself!
She wasn’t kidding. There’s something about the cut of these dresses that just works. Forgiving in all the right ways, yet completely unapologetic for flaunting curves and boobs. And even better? Leona Edmiston has her own sizing, which doesn’t correspond directly to traditional clothes sizes. It takes your mind off the size tag and forces you to concentrate on the fit of the dress instead.
I hadn’t really expected to spend a great deal more money after last week’s purchases, but I quickly discovered that this was an opportunity too good to pass up! It’s been such a long time since I’ve walked into a dress shop and been presented with so many options that just fit. With the sale ending tomorrow, I knew I had to pick up a few things while I could.
So here’s what I chose:
Shona Shirtdress
Perfect prim and proper in this retro-inspired cotton Shirt dress. This dress features 50′s inspired detailing such as self covered buttons, cuffed sleeves and a nipped in waist that creates a subtle vintage silhouette.
Bridgette Button
I’ll be the first to admit that this dress doesn’t look all that special in the picture, but of the three dresses I bought, this one really stands out!
This Leona jersey dress is a bold daywear piece with plenty of cool-girl sass. This dress has short sleeves with button cuff, scoop neckline and button waistline making this a perfect piece to introduce to your summer wardrobe.
Joan
I bought this dress in “petrol”, which is the colour that Leona wears in the top picture.
This effortlessly stylish dress will become your fail safe choice for any work day or occasion. With a flattering A line skirt, ¾ sleeves and super flattering cut this dress will instantly update your dress collection.
And this next dress came very close to joining the others!
You will create Perfect Park Avenue chic in this Leona dress. The sweetheart neckline and nipped-in waist with self tie are super-flattering. This dress also features an A line skirt, capped sleeves and a concealed back zip for easy wear.
Anyone who knows me well will probably be surprised at some of my choices, because I tend to choose “safer” colours and styles. I’m really excited to have bought some pieces that are bright, girly and summery – my Melbourne black-staple wardrobe was starting to look a bit emo!
The Leona Edmiston sale continues online until tomorrow, so get in quick to get 30% off. However, I strongly recommend heading into one of their stores, or to David Jones, to try on their gear if you haven’t worn it before.
Today taught me the importance of a perfectly fitted dress!
Elizabeth November 13th, 2009
Over the past few years, NaBloPoMo has taught me that there will always be something to blog about. A few minutes ago I was sitting here with my WordPress window open, idly clicking around the web in search of something that I felt like writing about. And inspiration came to me.
Earlier this afternoon I got an email from Velocity, Virgin Blue’s frequent flyer program, announcing that I had been upgraded to their “Gold” membership. I was actually pretty pleased that I didn’t disregard it as spam, as I’m flying with them next week and thought it’d be nice to enjoy the lounge.
The email reads:
Hi Elizabeth Velocity Membership Number: #123456789
We’ve got a treat for you – a free upgrade to Velocity Gold! Given you came so close to making it on your own, we wanted to say thanks so much for your ongoing commitment to the Virgin Blue Group, we really love having you around.A golden year on us!
To find out what’s in store for you over the next 12 months, please keep reading.
Perks when travelling.
When you next fly with the Virgin Blue Group, we’ll make sure you’re treated like a VIP.
* It starts with free Lounge membership, so you can catch up on work, relax and escape the airport crowds.
* As before, you can breeze right through the airport with priority check-in.
* You now get up to 32kg of checked baggage at no cost.
* Plus, two personalised baggage tags (coming soon to your letterbox) and more.If you’re already a member of The Lounge, naturally Virgin Blue will automatically refund the balance of your unused membership. Please allow up to 60 days for your refund to be finalised.
Easier to earn Points.
Being Gold you now earn 40% more Points for every dollar you spend or miles flown than Red, and can collect more Status Credits than ever before
Here to help you
If there’s anything you need to know, velocityrewards.com.au/gold is a great source of useful information. Should you prefer to chat, simply call 13 18 75 in Australia or +61 2 8667 5924 if calling internationally (if the line’s busy, rest assured you’ll jump straight to the head of the queue – just another little Gold benefit our Members enjoy).
The Velocity Team.
Sounds pretty good, right? Virgin is usually my airline of choice anyway, so I figured I’d make use of their offer.
Ah, but it just wasn’t to be.
You suck, Velocity – especially for inspiring me to write about my first-world problems on the internet!
“Warm regards”,
Member #123456789
Edited to add: I’ve had a good laugh after reading this article – sounds like some people got very upset about all this! It’s interesting to see the many different reactions to what was clearly one person’s mistake, although it seems to be widely acknowledged that the mistake wasn’t handled terribly well.
Helpful hint: take care when searching google images for “virgin sucks”. You’ll get more than pictures of aeroplanes.
Elizabeth November 12th, 2009
Tim and I sang the modified monkey version of the birthday song to Jack tonight, over the phone, and got an earful of giggles in return. I’ll be seeing him in Brisbane next month for some much-needed tickles and Aunty Liz cuddles!
I’m finding it hard to believe that it was seven years ago that I met the little bubba in that photo. He was very little, and extremely displeased with his rude entry into the world. But just a few minutes later he snuggled up with his mum and decided things weren’t so bad on the outside after all.
That little red-faced monkey has grown into an incredible kid, whose sense of humour and mischief should be bottled. I’m sorry that not everybody gets to have a little Jack in their lives because he makes ours heaps of fun!
Happy birthday Jack! You’re a big wally, and we love you to bits.
We hope you have a fun year being 7! xxx
Elizabeth November 11th, 2009
I nearly committed sins against the NaBloPoMo gods by not writing a post in time today, but I’ll manage to scrape in 15 minutes before midnight!
I blame this awful Melbourne heatwave, the packed tram that I had to ride home, and the stench of B.O. in the air that I was utterly unable to get away from. By the time I got home I was really nauseous and needed to sleep it off.
(That sleep lasted a little longer than planned…)
I wish I was a Summer person, but I’m just not. I am really dreading the next few months.
Anyway, I’m lucky to have come across this Kate Nash song tonight, via Naturally Nina’s lovely blog, so that I have something to write about! In her post Nina compared Kate Nash to Regina Spektor, maybe because of her choice of instrumentation, but when I listened to this song it instantly made me think of Lily Allen. The accent makes that an easy comparison, but there’s something about her looks and attitude that makes me think that Lily has been a big influence.
The lyrics are pretty fantastic, and I love that the video managed to convey their suffocating relationship so cleverly using everyday domestic objects. It has certainly made me want to check out the rest of her stuff to see if it’s as good as this song.
Enjoy the tune, I’m off to resume my sleep!
Elizabeth November 10th, 2009
It’s been a few weeks since I have worked on 100 Snapshots, but I spent some time tonight looking through my progress so far. I’m really itching to work on this project some more!
Here are a few of my favourite shots:
9. Colourless
A colour photograph of some of my B&W prints
26. Covered
Harry, protected from the rain on the back porch.
49. Dark
Full moon, January 2009
64. Chase
My pup and his new friend
77. Wind
St Kilda beach, 2009
You can see the rest of my photographs, and the complete list of words, over here. I recommend this project for anybody who wants to drag their camera out more often!
Elizabeth November 10th, 2009
A woman who tried to pass the written exam for a driver’s license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time.
The aspiring South Korean driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,500) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.
Cha Sa-soon, 68, finally passed the written exam with a score of 60 on Wednesday, said Choi Young-chul, a police official at the drivers’ license agency in Jeonju, 200 kilometres south of Seoul.
Police said Ms. Cha took the test hundreds of times, but had no specific total. Local media said she took the test 950 times.
Now she must pass a driving test before getting her license, Ms. Choi said.
Repeated calls to Ms. Cha seeking comment went unanswered. She told the Korea Times newspaper she needed the license for her vegetable-selling business.
I’d like to share my thoughts on this, but when I read the article my brain exploded.
Elizabeth November 9th, 2009
I was browsing through my photography portfolio this evening, and realised that I have never thought to put these two photos side by side.
West End, Brisbane
Queen St Mall, Brisbane
Both photos were taken in Brisbane about four years ago, and both men are rocking a style that only the crazy could invent.
One pink sock? Sure! Two pairs of pants? It’s genius!
Elizabeth November 8th, 2009
Couch to 5K is part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.
I have a confession to make.
Today I really did not want to go for a run. I was feeling dehydrated (thanks for the heatwave, Melbourne!), and the sudden explosion of pollen in the air had transformed me into a walking snot factory for the day. To say that I was feeling unmotivated is an understatement.
Thank God for new shoes, and my inability to resist them!
I had imagined that my new running shoes might transform my running experience into something angelic and cloud-like, perhaps increasing my stride threefold with their trampolinesque properties. I mean, they can’t charge a couple of hundred dollars for shoes that don’t possess superpowers, right?
Right!
So I threw on some lycra, laced up my new shoes, and blew my nose a few hundred times. Despite the heat, and despite the severe respiratory distress, I was determined to glide through the streets of Melbourne with the finesse of a seasoned runner. A seasoned runner, that is, with new shoes.
Maybe I should have bought the $300 shoes.
I mean, all things considered I did pretty well. To have run 25 minutes (again!) without walking, and while I was feeling less than physically fantastic, is a pretty huge sign that I am improving. Remember when all C25K asked of me was 60 second bursts of jogging? Those 60 second runs represented the absolute limit of my capabilities six weeks ago, so to be running for 25 minutes is nothing less than incredible. I think it’s important to look at the big picture occasionally, because it provides much-needed perspective.
Having said that, last week’s 25-minute run felt so much better than today’s. I felt more fatigued this time, lost a lot more sweat, and yet felt as though I was travelling so much slower. I still managed to cover 4km in that time, so I think I’m on track to achieve 5km in Week 9 without too much trouble.
While running this afternoon I thought back over some of the little lessons I’ve learned since beginning this thing. I know I wrote some of these down in the past, but here are some new tips that might help other runners at this stage of the program:
- My Couch to 5K iphone app continues to be a major motivator when I run. However, here’s a new tip! When you reach the end of Week 6, and you’re down to single running sessions, switch your phone to mute. Your music will continue to play, and the app will buzz in your hand when it is time to start and time to stop. Muting the phone prevents the audio prompt from telling you when you hit the halfway point, which is a major advantage in my case! There’s nothing worse than thinking that you’re on the home stretch, only to find out that you have another 12 minutes to go.
- Belly breathing is something that I have always done naturally, perhaps because of my background as a singer. It is the opposite of shallow breathing, and necessitates the use of your diaphragm. Last week I had some excrutiating stitches that I now attribute directly to my breathing. I think I was trying to improve my posture by keeping my belly in, and it resulted in spasms in my diaphragm. Google it, it’s apparently a common rookie mistake!
- Don’t forget: the first half is ALWAYS so much worse than the second half of any run. Get into a good rhythm, breathe, and remind yourself that the rhythm will come and the discomfort will lessen. And at the end of it all, you’ll be one session closer to Week 9!
Is anyone else out there still doing this thing? Tell me how you’re going!
| Completed: 10/101 | |||||||||
Completed: 10
In Progress: 22
Not started: 70
Keep track as I complete my challenge (commencing 1 Jan, 2012).
