The New 30

The Incidental Workout

2011-08-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t wish that my legs were longer. I have spent the past 30-odd years disguising them or dressing them up to elongate. It’s one of the reasons that I am rarely seen in public in flats. Elle Macpherson was my inspiration for this strategy. At the height of her modeling career Elle revealed her bum was her least favourite body part. She had cleverly ensured that very few photos were taken of her from behind during her career. And if they were, you’ll notice that a sarong or sweater was tied around her waist.

Call it mid-life crisis (or coercion by a girlfriend), but when I turned 45 I decided it was now or never for my legs. Placing them on a stretching rack would have been my first choice had it been an option. If I couldn’t make them longer, I’d have to make them leaner so they looked longer. I had the choice of joining a gym, engaging a fitness trainer or going for a walk. A quick opportunity cost analysis resulted in three strikes. I have things to do, places to go, people to mother. I actually don’t have time in my day for an activity entirely focused on me. If I have a facial, a manicure or a coffee, then I am generally in business mode at the time.

About six months ago I offered to swap parking spots with one of my managers as she often needed to leave quickly to collect her child from daycare. It was win-win, given my determination to sort out my legs without having to devote time to doing so. My original parking spot was close to the office. Hers was on the other side of the corporate park and involved about 100 stairs. Most people thought I was crazy, and I’ll admit that the first few weeks were tough as the hike from the parking spot to my office in four-inch heels was a mental and physical challenge. But within weeks I started to notice a positive impact on my legs. They didn’t start to grow (unfortunately 165cm is my lot in life), but they did begin to firm up and trim down. Three months into my new fitness regime and I’d lost a couple of centimetres around my thighs. Six months later and we’re talking thighs that can take me back to my youth (almost). The overall condition of my legs has improved, which is just as well as I’ve also decided that, mid-life, its OK to bare my knees, get back into a bikini and choose the shorty shorts.
And now I wear heels just for the height ;).

Gillard: Haunted By The Ghosts Of Backstabbing Past

2010-08-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

Left: PM Julia Gillard and her deputy Wayne Swan

I phoned my father this morning and he very proudly informed me that there was a photo of him in his local newspaper alongside his views on the election.

"I told them I hope the Liberals win," he said. "I don't like the way that Labor got rid of our Prime Minister. We voted him in we should be able to vote him out."

My father did in fact vote for Labor in the last election, assisting Kevin Rudd's rise to the nation's highest office. It was a very big deal for my father to vote Labor. A card carrying member of the Liberal party for all of my youth - my parents used to stand outside the local primary school on election day and hand out how to vote cards for the Liberal party - dad chose Rudd over Howard who he perceived to be racist. He voted with his heart.

Never one to fence-sit (or mince words), dad's passion for not voting Labor again was overwhelming.

"I don't like backstabbers," he cried (almost literally). "When Gillard did that to Rudd it reminded me of when your boss did it to you."

I moved on from my backstabbing former boss long ago (although I remain adamant that if he was burning in the street I wouldn't throw water on him), but clearly my dad hasn't. It wasn't until I'd had this conversation with my father that it dawned on me why so many otherwise rational Australians were turning on Julia Gillard for what I believe to be an 'all's fair in war and politics' act. This election is entirely personal for many people. This isn't an outpouring of support and affection for the former PM. Almost every eligible voter has been the victim of a backstabbing at some stage in their lives and when Labor handed its leadership baton from Rudd to Gillard in an effort to save the party from what they thought would be a certain loss at the polls, they unwittingly ripped the scab off a painful wound in the backs of the electorate.

The thing is though that my dad really dislikes Tony Abbott, almost as much as I do. He shares my distrust and is hoping that the Liberals will return Malcolm Turnbull to the leadership. But here's the rub: when questioned he admitted that he'd be happy for the change to happen after a Liberal party win at the next election. I can't criticise him for that or the twitterverse that's packed with Turnbull-for-PM tweeters (or is that just the group that I follow?); I'd be praying for that too should the unthinkable occur.

But how does a Gillard grab for power differ from a potential Turnbull ascension post Abbott-as-PM?

It's the elephant in the room, isn't it. When a man does it he's taking control but when a woman does it she's a backstabbing bitch.

The office of Prime Minister does not belong to any one man or woman. We vote in a political party and the party of the day decides who best to lead them to office, or to hold onto it. Labor believes they have their best hope with Gillard at the helm; the Liberals are hanging their hat on Abbott.

So while Australians remain haunted by their backstabbing ghosts of the past, there seems to be an almost blissful ignorance of the core issues that will affect the progress of this nation. Call me idealistic, but hair colour, dress sense, lack of religious persuasion and propensity to backstab are not what we should be focused on when deciding where our country should be heading. But it's up to Gillard and Abbott to brand our minds with a vision of their future Australia so that ordinary Australians like my dad and I can work out how to vote with our head instead of our heart.

Gillard Forces A Change To Our Reality

2010-06-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Above: Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Source: guardian.co.uk

If anyone doubts the significance of a female Prime Minister of Australia they should scan the news feed of a teenager's Facebook page.

Since Julia Gillard became our 27th Prime Minister on the morning of June 24, much of the traditional media reporting has focused on the fact that a woman has finally reached the country's highest office, 11 years after New Zealand. Even those who intensely dislike her politics have to admit that a female Governor-General swearing in a female Prime Minister represents a coming of age for our nation.

But it's in the social media that it becomes apparent the timing of this momentous occasion was long overdue. Teenage girls shared their elation almost unanimously in the news feed that I read on the evening of Gillard's rise to power, posting status updates that included: "A female PM! Yay!!!", "Go Julia" and "Can you believe it! Wow!" Most of the postings by teenage boys in the same news feed were less enthusiastic: "A female PM? That's just silly", "How gay", "A woman can't run Australia" and "Who does she think she is?"

A highly intelligent 16-year-old at my son's school, who has aspirations of reaching the top job himself one day, noted, "there are two things that a woman should never do: drive a bus and be Prime Minister". That comment apparently got a huge laugh from the boys traveling home on the bus, driven by a woman.

In the 21st century it's shocking to hear young, relatively well-informed men sharing such archaic views. However, we shouldn't be surprised given that until last Thursday they hadn't previously had to think about the idea of a woman as ultimate leader of this nation.

As most teenagers speak words that reveal the views of their parents before they've been out into the real world to formulate their own, it is clear that there is much work to be done if we are to become a nation that believes in the best person for the job - any job.

So as we force a change in the perception of many: young and old, male and female, Labor and Liberal, the irony is that we have our ousted PM Kevin Rudd to thank for reaching this important milestone. It was Rudd who gave us our first female Governor General and Rudd who chose the most capable person in his cabinet to be his Deputy, regardless of gender. Rudd nurtured Gillard. He talked her up and he entrusted her with key portfolios that would eventually position her as a likely future PM.

Rudd will always be remembered as the Prime Minister who apologised to the stolen generation, but he should also be remembered for his foresight and courage in choosing capability over gender. Hopefully our impressionable young men will one day understand the significance of his actions and begin to make gender neutral decisions too.

The Definition Of Inappropriate

2010-06-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

Source: nydailynews.com

When David Jones CEO Mark McInnes was forced to resign last week as the result of 'inappropriate behaviour toward a female staff member', the rules of corporate Australia changed forever. The 25-year-old who alleged the inappropriate behaviour by her boss took a brave step forward on behalf of all women in the workforce.

I have had a long professional relationship with McInnes for most of the years that he was a senior executive at David Jones, through my publishing careers at Fairfax, EMAP and in my current role as Publisher of Independent Digital Media. I always found him to be charming, witty and incredibly astute and can honestly say that I never witnessed his alleged womanising. But then, if the media reports about his penchant for slim blondes is correct, I'm clearly not his type.

The victim of McInnes' alleged approach was right to take the stand she did, and the Board of David Jones moved swiftly to appropriately terminate his position as the company's most senior executive. David Jones is, after all, a public company and the Board's business is to mitigate risk to brand and reputation. They had no choice.

But what if inappropriate behaviour occurs in a private organisation and the perpetrator is the Chairman of the company? And what if the victim of inappropriate advances is a female director of the Board? What would be the course of action in that event? I may decide to investigate further, buoyed by the courage of the David Jones marketing executive. Apparently the inappropriate behaviour does not need to be current to be relevant to a course of legal action.

As the most senior male executives in companies across the nation receive a much-needed wake-up call at McInnes' expense, there are women who are starting to ask the question of what constitutes 'inappropriate behaviour' in the workforce. Have they in fact been putting up with similar or worse? Yes, I've started to hear the whisperings.

Inappropriate executives: be very afraid.

SATC2: Embracing Your Outer 40s

2010-06-09T03:10:00.001-07:00

I resisted seeing Sex And The City 2 with the media scrum because I wanted to see it as the makers intended: with a group of girlfriends my own age.

Five 40-something women left our partners and children at home for the evening, slipped on our favourite heels (that would make Carrie proud) and swanned down to The Verona in Paddington for a spectacular ride.

From the extravagant gay wedding and references to eighties fashion, to Carrie's to-die-for maxi dresses in a multitude of colours (I’m about to embrace my outer emerald green) SATC2 is a visual fantasy. But it’s not for everyone.

Unlike the series and first movie, where the girls are in single land hoping to find Mr Right (or in Carrie’s case – land Mr Big), time and lifestages have moved on in this second instalment. Carrie is still married to Mr Big and is experiencing the slump of the terrible twos (the Gen-X version of the seven-year itch; we have always been such an impatient lot). Charlotte has two little girls and is living the parenting hell of the original terrible twos (I’m allowed to express this as I’m a mother, PC or not). Miranda is smashing herself against the glass ceiling of her law firm and the reality of having it all: the husband, the child, the career, has resulted in battle fatigue (and for the first time I realised that although I have identified with Carrie throughout the series, my life is really Miranda’s). And Samantha is going through menopause.

SATC2 is generational, meaning that it would be hard to identify with the girls in their new lifestage unless you were over 40. We post-40 girls laughed, nodded, oohed, aahed, and averted our eyes ...only slightly...when Samantha's legs were in the air yet again. I loved that the film kick-started with the Liza Minelli version of Beyonce’s Single Ladies and wound up with Carrie and her BFs singing karaoke to Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman. If those two songs don’t divide a generation, then nothing will.

Carrie’s clothes were breathtaking, thanks to the clever stylist Patricia Fields. I love that Carrie visited a traditional souk market in Abu Dhabi wearing a Dior singlet and cinderella-style ballskirt. Carrie didn’t sacrifice her extraordinary heels for her time in the desert. There was nothing she wore that I didn’t immediately want to own. Hell I even adored the headband she wore as best man at Stanford’s wedding.

Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are representative of women post-40, if you can ignore the glamour and exotic location. What woman hasn’t harboured doubts about her marriage? What mother hasn’t wanted to lock herself in a room away from her screaming child? What career mum hasn’t felt pulled and pushed, unappreciated and guilty? And what menopausal woman hasn’t worried about maintaining her sex drive? Those are the honest truths of ageing, characterised for the big screen in a way that we want to see it: glamorised rather than raw. If I have to go through all of those things then god damn it, let me be frocked up to the nines wearing the best shoes my money can buy.

No one is holding them up to be role models: apart from the critics who do so for target practice. These women aren’t pretending to save lives, they aren’t developing anti-cancer drugs in their spare time and they aren’t kicking goals at the World Cup. They are merely providing much-needed escapism from the reality of most 40-something lives. What's wrong with a lot of fantasy?

I have a number of favourite scenes: Miranda and Charlotte being honest about enjoying their break away from their children, every scene with Aidan (you're either a Big or an Aidan woman) and when the women of Abu Dhabi strip off their burquas in female-only confines and display the very best of Louis Vuitton. I was in neighbouring Dubai a few years ago and was delighted to see some of the world's most divine and expensive shoes: the very latest Manolos, Jimmy Choos, Louboutins poking out from beneath burqas. Those women love fashion as much as we do. The difference is they can actually afford to wear the very best of it. While we wear our style as a badge, they strip down to high fashion only for each other and for their husbands. Vastly different cultures can still bond over fashion.

SATC2 has been panned and praised in equal measure - well actually it's mostly been panned by the critics and celebrated by moviegoers who have voted with their pockets.

If I have one criticism? Not enough shoes.

Fashion's Big Deal

2010-03-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

Left: French model Tara Lynn

Tara Lynn is a French size 48. That translates to size 20 in Australian women's clothing sizes, size 16 in US sizing and, according to the international size charts on the fashion website net-a-porter.com, it's simply size XXXL. In anyone's language it tips the top of fashion's Richter scale and is usually enough to frighten off most designers.

Despite her extraordinary beauty a woman like Lynn rarely gets a look-in when it comes to fashion's elite, which is why France's leading weekly women's magazine ELLE caused a stir amongst fashionistas this week when Lynn appeared on the cover, wearing an Hermes jumpsuit no less. She also features in an extraordinary fashion shoot inside that mostly disguises her size from being the focal point - apart from a beautiful image of a naked Lynn that is reminiscent of the Venus of Willendorf.

Left: March 26 cover of ELLE France with covergirl Tara Lynn

It's ELLE magazine's Curvy Issue and that's the justification for Lynn as covergirl. It's a bizarre concept the Special-Issue-featuring-covergirl-as exception-to-the-rule. Rather than inviting plus-size fashion into its stylish world, the magazine excludes curvy fashion from its regular weekly line-up by interrupting the program with a special event. If Valérie Toranian (Editor, Elle France) is serious about doing anything more than publishing the equivalent of an upscale freak show for undernourished women to point and snigger at, then this issue will mark the beginning of a beautiful relationship between ELLE France and women of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps that is the intent for future issues. Keep an eye out.

Twitterer @curvesmart has called on US Vogue editor Anna Wintour to start using larger size models too. But what would happen if she did? Would fashion magazine consumers stick with US Vogue if it featured heavier women as models or would they dump the title and jump ship to a leaner Harper's Bazaar?

At their very best magazines are created to attract the maximum number of people sharing a particular style and interest. So what if the majority of fashionistas aspire to be thin? Perish the thought, burn the very idea at the post or accept that all women are in fact different and that includes our aspirations and our shape. It may be politically incorrect that fashionistas prefer to see Miranda Kerr wearing Gucci than Tara Lynn wearing Hermes, but it's not a crime.

I am all for embracing the idea that women need to start seeing role models of all shapes and sizes but the fashion world needn't be made to shoulder that burden alone. Film and television reach more female eyeballs than fashion magazines so perhaps we need to be calling for plus-size female actors to do more than make reality TV shows.

Let's not be token with such a cultural shifting issue. And let's not adopt the politically correct stance publicly about matters we have no intention of supporting privately and with our own money. We need to challenge our own institutional commitment before we can ever hope to see fashion magazines featuring plus-size models increasing in circulation month-in, month-out.

Photo Source: ELLE France March 26, 2010

Photographer: David Oldham
Sets/Production: Nora Bordjah
Hair: Alessandro Rebbechi
Makeup: Jurgen Braun
Manicure: Elsa Deslande

Magazines: Inspiration Or Salvation?

2010-01-24T01:10:00.000-08:00

As a magazine editor, I often wondered just how much advice the readers of my magazines took note of. Women's magazines are full of ideas and advice, designed to inspire. But how much of it is adopted in everyday lives?

When I was the editor of Dolly I knew that many of the thoughts shared by my team through the pages of our magazine were consumed en masse. Teenagers, the least confident of women, are more likely to follow advice exactly as presented, so we were always extra careful. If you call something a must-have, then they really will believe that they need to own it which leaves little room for individual expression.

When I progressed to grown-up women's magazines like Cosmopolitan and ELLE, my readers did too. I assumed they had started to develop their own sense of style and that, rather than adhere to all advice and ideas religiously, they would cherry pick the most relevant parts. (That, incidentally, is why it's so much harder editing a magazine for all women - all women have different needs and wants once they find out who they are post teen years.)

So I was intrigued to hear that a woman in the US had decided to slavishly follow the advice of talk-show host Oprah Winfrey as a year-long experiment. Robyn Okrant kicked off her Living Oprah project as a New Year's resolution on January 1, 2008. For 12 months she consumed Oprah in every medium that her advice could be obtained: television show, magazine, book club, website. Her goal was to discover if a person could really live their best life (the Oprah Winfrey brand promise) by doing things the Oprah way.

The hilarious, and at times alarming, result is documented in a new book released last week called Living Oprah.

The book is compelling, you won't be able to put it down. I read it from cover-to-cover in two sittings and I would have stayed up all night with it if I didn't have a day job. I have to admit to squirming (as a former editor) as Okrant battles with her innate individuality, though, as I was provided with a wake-up call about the potential impact of how-to magazines on the less confident and cash-poor.

"There is an inner battle taking place inside this wannabe nonconformist who doesn't want to admit that being Oprah's poster girl is the least bit agreeable," Okrant writes on March 22, 2008 (less than three months in).

"The jury is still out on whether it's worth it. On one hand, from the outside, things in my life are probably looking better: I'm dressing in a more stylish and trendy manner (according to Oprah and her style experts), I've slimmed down a bit from the regularity of my Best Life Challenge exercise, the readership on my blog is growing steadily...and I'm getting a bit of press about Living Oprah. But inside I'm feeling tired and stressed. Living life in this manner is like an endless run on a woman-sized gerbil wheel."

I won't ruin the ending for you. Definitely worth a read - even if it never gets recommended by Oprah's book club.

Celebrating 40-Something Women With Song

2009-12-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

Left: Donna and the Dynamos, from the Sydney musical Mamma Mia!

There is a scene in the movie Mamma Mia! that answers the question asked of me by my best friend: which is better - the musical or the movie?

A swarm of 40-something women running along cobblestone streets and dancing on a pier to the tunes of my all-time favourite ABBA song Dancing Queen, is one of the most uplifting movie scenes in years. The Greek Island setting is a visual bonus. There are very few films devoted to the journey of our generation of women. Women coming together to lend a shoulder, and a dance move. As a baby of the sixties, it's difficult not to be moved.

My friend saw the musical first. For me it was the movie. I finally caught up with the musical last night and it was captivating. The lyric Theatre at Star City, where the musical is currently playing until February 7 2010, was filled with the delighted cheering, clapping, singing and dancing of 40-something mothers and their daughters. As a mother of sons, I went along with my mother, sister and her two young daughters. It was a total girl-fest. A completely foreign experience for me.

The clearly timeless songs provided familiar territory. I owned every ABBA album and merchandise available in the seventies when I was a tween and ABBA was at its peak. To be taken back there 30 years later by a musical turned movie phenomenon is truly a gift.

I would love to see it again with the group of girlfriends who shared my memories. Just like Donna and her Dynamos - for one night only.

Spare A Thought For Elin Woods

2009-12-09T03:09:00.000-08:00

Left: Tiger Woods with wife Elin

The IndependentMail.com refers to the Tiger Woods scandal as "the biggest in the history of the world". Although clearly a massive overstatement the story has managed to captivate in most parts of the world.

But what's so special about an elite sportsman cheating on his wife? That old chestnut rolls around every other month with the Hall of Fame including the likes of cricketer Shane Warne, golfer Greg Norman and footballer David Beckham.

So what is it about the golfing world's best that has sent the media into commentary meltdown? Sami Lukis, radio station Triple M's morning news reader, remarked that if Woods' marriage to a gorgeous Swedish model couldn't last then there wasn't much hope for the rest of us. And I figured that her comment may have nailed the reason for our fascination.

Woods and wife Elin were nothing short of the fantasy ideal couple in that old-school Walt Disney fashion. The charming, dashing golfer, worth millions by 21, marries the picture-perfect model with the Barbie-doll looks. We figure it was meant to be and then spend the rest of their lives aspiring to have what they have: outrageous good looks, ridiculous piles of cash and sheer happiness.

So when one of the three pillars of a perfect couple falls apart, we feel it personally and it rocks our world a little too. We now need to examine our ideals. Have we in fact been looking for love and happiness in all the wrong places? Better take that Tiger Woods poster off the wall lest anyone think you're aspiring to have what he can offer. Revelation: perfect people are not always happy.

There will be those who would like to tar and feather Woods - and trust me if I were Elin or her mother I definitely would want to. Others will express relief that the man is human after all. Another group will use the Woods saga to make them feel better about their own lot in life - 'my husband's not perfect but at least he doesn't cheat on me' etc. Then there are those who will be welcoming him to the club. When it comes to cheating partners, Woods is no island.

When the scandal broke last week, a colleague remarked, "what was he thinking?" Clearly he wasn't, otherwise he wouldn't have shagged a bunch of women who seem overly oriented to drop him in it. Did someone say five minutes of fame and fortune? As 10 or more women jump out of seemingly nowhere to claim their part of this sordid tale, I have cause to wonder whatever happened to common decency and dignity?

The image of the world's favourite golfer has taken a beating - and fair enough, I certainly don't condone what he's done - but the women who are going public aren't doing themselves or Elin Woods any favours either. Time for them to all go away so the real victim, his wife, can work through her next steps.

Whether it's one woman or 20 (and it could reach that number this time next week the way this is going), Elin Woods will be suffering inconsolable hurt. Why keep kicking a woman when she's down?

Photo credit

Freedom of Expression or Just Plain Restrictive?

2009-12-08T02:36:00.000-08:00

I've often wondered what would happen if I blogged favorably about an issue that was contrary to the beliefs of the organisation I work for. Or if I was honest about an issue that the company would rather not discuss - certainly not in the public domain.

When I blogged about my fears for a Tony Abbott-led Liberal party last week, I received a phone call from my mother-in-law and a public chastising from Fairfax columnist Miranda Devine, but not a word from the CEO of Independent Digital Media where I'm employed as Publisher. Nor was I the recipient of even a peep from the Chair of the Netball Australia Board, of which I am a Director.

No doubt the situation would be reversed if I were to break rank and criticise an advertiser or an umpire. And that would be fair as it could impact the respective organisation commercially. That's not to say that I can't disagree behind closed doors. That's my role. I can and I have been known to. Its the public airing of disunity that is the issue here.

I've had cause to question a staff member's comments made via the very public Twitter in recent times. Workshopping a business concern in 140 characters or less with a band of anonymous followers wasn't exactly in the best interests of the company at the time, at any time.

It's undoubtedly why Telstra felt it necessary to table a social media policy in April this year. It outlines the rules of engagement for when Telstra staff have their Telstra hats on while blogging and tweeting. It makes perfect practical and commercial sense but is a reminder that in the 21st century our preferred form of communication is a double-edged sword.

Call it the 'always on' strategy. When you're working for Telstra there is an expectation that 24/7 you will abide by the social media rules. No such thing as 'in your own time'.

But what to make of an organisation's decision to ban a blog by a local journalist for criticising something as seemingly irrelevant as a Christmas gift? UK company, Liverpool Direct Limited recently banned the Liverpool Daily Post blog from staff access due to its criticism of the company's Christmas gift to staff.

"It seems that the latest attempt to tell staf (sic) working at the city council's controversial IT joint venture with BT how great their workplace is, has backfired," David Bartlett blogged.

"As you can see by the picture, I have been supplied with the gizmos that were handed out to staff in an attempt to boost morale at Liverpool Direct Limited (LDL)."

Bartlett writes in the follow-up blog post-ban: "If you are reading this blog you are clearly not working at Liverpool Direct Limited (LDL)".

As a journalist it's easy to beat the drum in favour of freedom of expression; the right to be independent. We do and we should continue to do so. But there's also the not-so-insignificant matter of freedom of information. No organisation should be able to restrict or control the news that reaches its staff. Surely we've evolved beyond that. But living in a world where social media means that anyone, anywhere can join the conversation is instead potentially limiting our freedom of expression, ironically - and it appears that information restrictions have dropped their bags at our liberated doorstep too.

According to a report by Kristine Lowe, president of The Norwegian Online News Association (NONA), on journalism.co.uk, NONA met last month to debate the need for rules for journalists' use of social media. News organisations across the globe are beginning to put rules in place mostly to protect the media organisation, but also at the request from journalists who are uncomfortable with the grey areas.

Jan Omdahl, internet and technology commentator for Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet, pointed out that journalists encounter a whole new set of challenges online. “Even if I as a social media user think we can just continue as we always have done, I do see that we can benefit from raising awareness about these challenges. For instance: should I reply when I get questions on Twitter about why Dagbladet has used five different angles on that sex podcast on NRK.no? Should I confer with my bosses before I reply? Is it appropriate that I share my opinions on one of our most heavily criticised front pages?”

John Einar Sandvand, a digital strategist with Aftenposten, Norway’s newspaper of record, suggested three rules for how journalists should use social media:
1) The media company should be genuinely positive to its staff being active in social media
2) Social media activities must be done in a way which maintains the professional integrity of journalists
3) Stay loyal to your employer.

Illustration credit

Image credit

Breast Pest

2009-12-03T02:29:00.000-08:00

I found another lump in my breast this week and I'm absolutely terrified of what the Breast Clinic will tell me this time.

It's the third big one and although I'm a believer in everything happening in threes (so call me superstitious), I worry that the lumps associated with the previous scares may have felt slightly different to this one.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with lumpy breasts. Essentially, my breasts are made up of ridiculously large cysts - so large that if the clinic drained them all you'd have trouble making me out in a line-up of young boys.

The draining process is particularly uncomfortable. With no anaesthetic to lessen my anxiety (my body tenses which increases the pain quotient considerably), I was forced to grin and bare it as a supersized needle pierced each of my breasts in turn and extracted a whole lot of fluid. My cysts were of the maxi variety so it took a couple of goes per cyst to effectively drain them. My doctor joked that if she removed them all there'd be no breast left so she chose not to drain them all, much to my husband's delight.

I've felt worse pain, I told myself as the needle was forced into my left breast. I've given birth twice and there's nothing more painful than that. The difference is that unless you're a Scientologist, you're allowed to scream and shout obscenities when attempting to force another person out of your body. It's expected of you, almost a surprise if you don't. Whereas in the quiet of a breast clinic, bellowing in agony and threatening to harm your partner unless the pain stops immediately isn't really the done thing.

But as with childbirth you're expected to forget about the pain so that you'll return for an annual checkup. The thing is, the memory of last year's draining is still so very fresh for me. I can see the needle coming toward me as I blog. How do I bring myself to go back for another round - even if that is what I'm praying will be the necessary outcome? The alternative is clearly far worse.

Why does everything to do with female health involve a fair amount of discomfort? Yes, we're clearly the tougher gender but we don't need to be reminded of it every time we do the right thing by our bodies.

Illustration credit

Why Tony Abbott Will Need More Than A Makeover

2009-12-01T03:40:00.000-08:00

Today's Liberal leader Tony Abbott is against abortion, same-sex marriage, binge drinking and no-fault divorce. He does, however, believe that paedophiles who have done their time should be allowed to live wherever they want. And he thinks it's funny that he has been accused of flirting with the Deputy PM.

Not surprisingly, today's female twitterverse revolted. With the exception of Fairfax columnist Miranda Devine, who wears her Liberal Party supporter badge on her sleeve, her forehead and as a watermark behind her columns, most female tweeters were outraged that a man with Abbott's beliefs could possibly head up a major political party in Australia in 2009.

Abbott made a point of apologising for any behaviour of the past during his first press conference today. Deputy Julie Bishop stood nervously by his side and lacked any credibility when she took to the microphone to talk up her new leader as "a character". She couldn't say that Abbott has any respect for women, so she didn't.

In case you needed reminding of just what Abbott was apologising for, I've dug up a few examples that have helped to characterise him.

On AM on November 1, 2004, Abbott's views on abortion were exposed.

"TONY ABBOTT: Ah, well, I don't much like abortion full stop, but obviously abortions at a point in the pregnancy when the child to be might otherwise be viable, obviously raise even more serious ethical issues than those much earlier in pregnancy.

MATT BROWN: And is there any way that of those 75,000 abortions that your health system funds, that some of those could be discouraged?

TONY ABBOTT: Well as I said the Government policy hasn't changed, let's see where this debate develops."

In an article about binge drinking on August 13, 2009, the Herald Sun reported that "Mr Abbott said his 18-year-old daughter Frances called him a "lame, gay, churchie loser" the last time he offered her a worthy moral exhortation".

On September 17, The Australian reported: "it was left up to Liberal front bencher Tony Abbott to call for a more rational approach to the issue of where to house someone like Ferguson".

“Everyone has to live somewhere”, Abbot wrote. “The punishment should fit the crime but, once people have served their sentence, it’s generally been thought that they should be allowed to restart their lives with more-or-less a clean slate. Our culture has been profoundly influenced for the good by the injunctions not to judge “lest ye be judged”; and to “love your neighbour as you love yourself”. That is, it seems, until the neighbour happens to be a former pedophile.”

In The Age on July 13, 2009, there was a report on Tony Abbott's plea to strengthen the bedrock of marriage by reintroducing the option of a fault-based system for divorce.

"Although Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said yesterday she was willing to entertain the idea - or at least debate it in the Coalition party room - experts suggest it could provide carte blanche for detectives to once more peer into the nation's bedrooms.

"Yes, really, there was a time - before no-fault divorce was introduced via the Family Law Act in 1975 - when figures in trench coats would scour bins for hotel receipts to produce evidence of adultery, and a spouse's "marital fault".

"This, in turn, could determine the size of a property settlement in court and even who got to keep the kids."

Abbott will certainly require a major makeover if he is to win over the crucial female vote. Without the 51% of the population who have been allowed to vote now for some time, he doesn't have a chance. No aspiring leader in recent times has understood this better than Kevin Rudd.

Lost For Words

2009-11-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

This week has been a particularly tough one for some of my extended media family. One of our own was hit by a tragedy so vast that it's been difficult to know what to say.

How do you offer comfort to a person who will never again be at peace?

What can you do to let him know that there is a group of people who are hurting on his behalf?

When is it OK for those other than the closest of family and friends to touch this person in some way?

It's during the very worst of times that the best of people comes out. And I saw it first-hand this week as my EMAP family united to workshop our way forward. We've had our differences in the past, but all of that was cast aside as we clung together in the wake of the horror. It's clear that no matter where we go or what we do there will always be a group of people on whom we can rely.

We can't change the circumstances of this week that have altered the course of our former colleague's life forever. But we will be there for him should he need us.

Fashion Inheritance

2009-10-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

Left: This year's fashion must-have

Charlotte Smith inherited her American Quaker godmother's collection of fashion history. Little did she know at the time that she would become the proud, and a little ecstatic, owner of more than 3000 dresses, dating from 1790 - 1995. Amongst this extraordinary collection were Dior and Chanel originals.

Born in Hong Kong, Charlotte lived in London, Paris and New York, before falling in love with Australia. Those divine fashions now reside on our home soil too.

But rather than keep this treasure to herself, Charlotte has shared her fashion win via an illustrated book, Dreaming of Dior. Available in November. As a fashion enthusiast, I can't wait.

A Personal Journey or a Travel Book?

2009-10-26T01:35:00.000-07:00

I was one of the last women on the planet to read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

A New York Times bestseller that has resonated with women in every part of the globe, the book really only piqued my interest when I overheard a group of women discussing it with passion and a sense of purpose.

"When I was in Bali a couple of weeks ago I visited the same medicine man that Elizabeth Gilbert went to," shared one of the women.

"Oh my god, that's what my girlfriends and I are planning to do at the end of the year," shrieked another.

I can see it now: somewhere on the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali sits a man espousing herbal remedies and his philosophies on life with a steady stream of mostly single women beating a path to his door. The book's publication in February 2006 made him an international phenomenon as women the world over attempt to recreate the personal journey that Gilbert took to find herself at the end of a painful and messy divorce.

Now I love a good memoir and this certainly ticks that box, but bestsellers are generally not my first choice when I rock up to Borders for a new read. However, millions of women can't be wrong so I decided to get in on the act and find out what all the fuss was about.

Gilbert strikes me as being a bit obsessive compulsive with her organisation of the book into 108 neat little parts like a japa mala, apparently India's answer to rosary beads. That, and the fact that the three countries she chose to visit all begin with the letter I. But I wasn't going to let that put me off.

As I started reading, it occurred to me that I may in fact be too happy with my life to be able to identify deeply with Gilbert's reason for embarking on this self-discovery. Is it because I'm not single that I don't share the urge to take myself off to Italy on a whim? Maybe it's because I'm not depressed that I have no desire to immerse myself in prayer at an Ashram in India? And I've been to Bali too many times to believe that's where I would find peace.

But this isn't my memoir, it's Elizabeth Gilbert's. And that's why it's fantastic that so many women have been able to identify with her downs in order to search out her means of lifting herself back up. But surely the point of the book is that every person's journey is personal.

Eat Pray Love isn't a travel book, it's a journal of one woman's path to enlightenment and personal enrichment. Be inspired by her, by all means, but for god's sake stop following in her footsteps and go find some of your own.

When the film version of the book is released sometime in 2011, I predict that travel to Italy, India and Indonesia will get a massive boost. And that poor medicine man will never again be at peace.

Anything For Charity

2009-10-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, an article about Cappuccino for a Cause appeared in Annette Sharp's Sydney Confidential column in The Daily Telegraph. The piece gave attention to a great initiative supporting the prevention of poverty - during International Poverty Week. Thank you Annette and The Daily Telegraph.

A couple of hours later I received a phone call from the PR company that provides services to Gloria Jeans Coffees, an organisation for which I am a franchisee. The PR company had received a phone call from social columnist Ros Reines and she was apparently asking questions about the Mercy Ministries and my involvement with Gloria Jeans. I assured the concerned PR that Ros would have been following a lead, rather than attempting to muckrake. I've known Ros for 25 years and that's how she operates. I've also been a tabloid journalist and a lead is a scent to follow-up.

I mention this because my inbox was full with concerned emails from friends and colleagues this morning following an article that appeared in Ros's column in The Sunday Telegraph.

"It looked like she was trying to stitch you up but it ended up being good publicity for you," wrote a friend.

Not true (re: the stitch-up). Ros and I had a phone conversation about this on Friday evening. The chat was positive and she was following up on a suggested lead.

Cappuccino for a Cause was a great success in my Gloria Jeans store - mezzanine level of Borders Bookstore, Westfield, Bondi Junction - due largely to the help of some fantastic people and products.

Huge recognition must go to: Melissa Hoyer, Channel 9 fashion commentator and writer; Zoe Foster, editor-in-chief of Australia's best beauty website PRIMPED.com.au; Alicia Richardson, editor of Australia's new, stylish wedding website TheKnot.com.au and Yasmin Boland, astrologer for Body & Soul, Cleo and Madison. Each woman twittered about her in-store appearance. Yasmin also alerted her following to her appearance in-store via her website and they came in droves. She charged them a small fee for a reading and all proceeds were donated directly to our cause.

These are four incredibly generous people.

Revlon donated 200 units of full-size lipstick and nail polish to support our efforts. It was certainly an enticing offer that saw many customers make the switch to a cappuccino and support the cause. Many customers mentioned they would now be choosing Revlon products over all others because of the beauty brand's strong show of support for victims of poverty.

Netball Australia donated a Gilbert netball, boasting autographs from the world champion Australian Diamonds.

Author Jessica Adams, a known supporter of charities that assist the less fortunate, donated 10 signed copies of her books Vintage Alice and The Summer Psychic.

Jo from solutionliving.com.au donated 8 eco-friendly products that clean your home and help save the environment at the same time.

A special mention must also go to Kerrie and Tessa of Instyle magazine who generously offered to hand out our Cappuccino for a Cause postcards to the many women who attended their style workshops in Westfield, Bondi Junction this week. If you haven't had the chance to get there to see one of their workshops in action, you should do so this week. A brilliant magazine produced by some genuinely charitable people.

It was so incredibly generous of all of those companies and people to donate their products and time for this worthwhile cause. Let's offer them our support in future.

I am grateful to my wonderful team who work at Gloria Jeans Borders Bondi Junction: manager Nick Meng and the crew who helped make October 16 and 17 a success: Joe, Simon, Desiree, Clara, Jackson, Lucy, Dennon, Felicia and Emily. They run my show and worked tirelessly behind the scenes and behind the counter to make Cappuccino for a Cause happen.

Australian Diamonds (55) defeat England (44)

2009-10-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Media alert – Wednesday 14 October

The Australian Diamonds have defeated England 55-44 in an encouraging display in Bath this morning.

Coming off the altered format of the game at the World Netball Series in Manchester the Diamonds showed poise and skill to overrun the English by 11-goals.

The Diamonds will now travel to Jamaica to take on the Sunshine Girls in Kingston on October 17 and 18.

Australian Diamonds shooting statistics:

Susan Pratley 27/32 @ 84%

Sharelle McMahon 28/35 @ 80%

Player of the match – Sharelle McMahon

“It certainly was nice to come away with a win coming off the Test matches in New Zealand and Australia and then the World Netball Series. It was a bit of a tired game from both teams really,” said Diamond coach Norma Plummer.

“Neither team looked really fresh but we got the win, the girls worked extremely hard and their defensive game was fantastic especially in the second half. We were five down at one stage and we brought that back to take the lead by half-time.

“I thought (Susan) Pratley and (Sharelle) McMahon’s work in the circle together was fantastic and Kim Green worked tirelessly on the outside. Bec Bulley came on at half-time because Mo’onia is only coming back from the ankle injury so we thought we’d only get a couple of quarters out of her. Bulley did a really good job she cut down Pamela Cookey (English goal attack). Cookey didn’t put many goals up after that so she did a fantastic job.

“(Going to Jamaica) It’s not about improving on anything at the moment, our game is fairly solid and we’ve got the options and we will need to use the options when we are in Jamaica. It’ll be really hot there compared to here and that’ll just zap the energy from the players. We’ll have to use our bench wisely to get across the line because Jamaica will be quite fresh compared to us."

“We started slowly and England got a bit of a jump on us in the first quarter. We ended up finishing a few goals down at quarter-time then they stepped out in the second quarter, so I think we were down by five at one stage in the second quarter,” said Diamond captain Sharelle McMahon.

“We fought back really well in that second quarter and ended up going into half-time two-goals up which was great.

“We held that lead through the third-quarter and put our foot down again in the final quarter which for us is really nice because often we get a lead and don’t really go on with it. So it was really good that we got in front and in the last quarter took it away from them.

“It was great to get back on court, in the World Netball Series Mo’onia and I would warm up with the team then go back into the stands to watch so it was definitely good to be back in with the group and out on court again.

“We have a pretty long trip ahead of us now heading over to Kingston and then only about a week in Jamaica, so things will be moving pretty quickly for us.

“I thought by the end of that match we had a really nice flow and a good understanding between the players on court, so hopefully we can build on that against Jamaica.”

Diamonds starting positions:

GS - Susan Pratley

GA - Sharelle McMahon (Captain)

WA - Kimberlee Green

C - Natalie von Bertouch (Vice Captain)

WD - Renae Hallinan

GD - Mo`onia Gerrard

GK - Bianca Chatfield

Kate Beveridge

Rebecca Bulley

Susan Fuhrmann

Natalie Medhurst

Lauren Nourse

The Cultural Differences Are Vast

2009-10-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Above: Screengrab from Hey, Hey It's Saturday featuring the controversial Red Faces skit

When a troupe of men dressed up as The Jacksons appeared on the Red Faces segment of the second reunion show of Hey, Hey It's Saturday, I immediately cringed with horror because Harry Connick Jnr was a guest judge.

When the camera panned across to take in the American singer's pained expression, I knew that he was also thinking the American press won't be kind to him on this one.

The very idea that Connick Jnr appeared on a television program in which black performers were sent up in a comedy skit is really at the root of the drama over this relatively uneventful incident. As Daryl Somers showed during the program, the same guys performed virtually the same skit (albeit before Michael Jackson's skin colour began to pale) a couple of decades ago - and no one was outraged then.

The difference was that this time there was a celebrity from a country that is trying so hard to be politically correct in the face of a local media looking to catch someone out, 24/7.

As Connick Jnr expressed on the evening, Americans have been trying so hard not to make black people look like buffoons.

And that's really where the cultural differences between our two nations lies. The point of the skit wasn't to send up black people. In defence of Dr Anand Deva, who portrayed Michael Jackson and felt the need to defend himself to The Australian, it was merely a send-up of celebrities. It's something that is very Australian. Virtually every comedy sketch does it on a regular basis.

If we think this is racist, then are we happy with Chris Lilley's portrayal of an Islander teenager? Why weren't we outraged when The Chaser sent up Osama Bin Laden? Because Australians have developed a unique way of looking at life and the ridiculous little things that occur. We take the piss. That's what we do.

But that doesn't mean that Connick Jnr was wrong to defend himself on the program on Wednesday night. He had to. He didn't have a choice. If he hadn't taken a stand against the perceived racist nature of the content he was judging, instead of being branded a racial superhero by his countrymen, he would instead have been branded a racist. It appears to be how the gutter press operates in the US.

This incident wasn't really about racial prejudices for me. Instead it highlighted the vast differences in perception, humour, attitudes and freedom of expression between two clearly vastly different cultures.

Image: http://www.theage.com.au

Egos Gone Wild

2009-10-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Left: Golfer Greg Norman and wife, tennis great, Chris Evert

Why does one spouse always have to be the support crew? Aren't we developed enough to allow two unique individuals with passions to thrive?

Apparently not. The sporting world's power pairing offered career couples, sporting and otherwise, a ray of hope when they wed 15 months ago. Greg Norman and Chris Evert were going to show us how both could continue to be leaders in their sports and harmoniously equal in marriage. A state that many other couplings of dual achievers have failed to reach.

Norman's former wife Laura was the first of the doubters when she stated on the eve of their marriage that they were too alike for the union to last. Laura may well have been right as it appears their egos may have gotten in the way of a loving marriage with the couple announcing their decision to split yesterday.

I honestly thought it would last. I watched the 60 Minutes interview, I thought I saw the spark. What I may have been seeing instead was two people basking in the reflection of their own glory. It now seems they may been each other's latest trophy rather than the love of their respective lives.

What a shame.

Photo: http://www.guardian.co.uk

60 Years Of Communist Rule: Not Everyone Is Celebrating

2009-09-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was 22 when I visited China, my father's country of birth, for the first time. My great uncle thought it was time that my sister and I were shown the family's land in Xiamen, a short flight into southern China from Hong Kong.

Uncle King took us directly to a winery, sitting abandoned on an enormous parcel of land. It was like a ghost town - empty and clearly unused for many decades.

"Our family owned all of this before the Communists took it from us," he explained, the pain etched into his expression.

"We were famous for making the best wine in all of China," he added proudly.

"What do you mean, they just took it? No one can just take it from you," I stated like a true citizen of a democracy.

Ïn China, they can just take everything they want...and they took everything," Uncle added wistfully.

My father's family fled China. Some went to Canada, others to Indonesia. My father's immediate family crossed the border into the English-ruled Hong Kong where many would
reside in tiny box-like apartments, while dreaming of the large expanses of land they once owned, for the rest of their days.

As the Chinese Communist Party celebrates 60 years of continuous rule, millions of Chinese who lost their homes, livelihood and even country in 1959 and beyond won't be popping the champagne corks with them.

Photo: http://news.xinhuanet.com

The Beauty Of Noosa

2009-09-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Left: My home for the next week: The Sheraton Resort & Spa, Noosa

As soon as we arrived in Noosa I knew I would be happy here. My enjoyability radar rarely lets me down, which can be a terrible thing when upon arrival you just know it'll all be downhill (this has happened to me at the very best of five-star resorts).

Friends had been telling me for years that Noosa was my sort of place. I can't believe it's taken me 43 years to get here and find out for myself.

I really do love Queensland. We are so lucky to live in a country that requires only a domestic flight up the coast (if you live in NSW, Victoria or Tasmania) to world-class beaches and sunshine.

I like to start a beach holiday with a beach massage if I can. I made my way over to the little hut on the beach where holidaymakers were being pummelled back into shape. Luckily for me one massage treatment was coming to an end and there was an available slot in the schedule. So I slipped right in and within minutes was having the stress literally squeezed out of me.

My masseuse was a woman in her early thirties, for whom life at the office was one big pleasure. She seemed genuinely pleased with her day job and just as I was forgetting about mine, she asked, "don't you work for a magazine?"

That's how I know how old she is.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"32," she replied.

"So you used to read Dolly magazine," I offered with confidence.

"Yes I did and you are Marina...you were the Editor."

It doesn't matter where I travel in Australia, most women in their early thirties seemed to have read Dolly magazine when I was the editor, more than 15 years ago. Back then there was no real competitor. Girlfriend magazine was a mere upstart start-up and everyone read Dolly. It was The Australian Women's Weekly of teenage magazines.

But the real bonus in this for me was that after all of those years, and two children later, a reader could still identify me. Made stepping out in my bikini just a tad easier (I usually drop the towel at the water's edge). There'll be no pictures, though. Takes more than a reader remembering me as a 23-year-old editor to get me to that special place.

A Polanski Epic

2009-09-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland on the weekend for a crime he committed three decades ago.

Now aged 76, the celebrated film maker allegedly drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl in the home of his then good friend Jack Nicholson. He fled the US for Europe to escape his likely punishment and has never returned. He remained a wanted man.
So now that he has finally been arrested, commentators across the globe have expressed polar opposite views about his impending extradition to the US to face up to his crime.

In order to form a reasonable view, you need to remove any irrational thoughts relating to his movies and celebrity.

I am a fan of Polanski’s artistic talents. He is a master of his craft, that is undeniable. But if the man in question wasn’t a famous movie writer and director, would we want him behind bars or would we still be prepared to argue for his freedom on the grounds of his age and that he has had a hard and complex life? One would argue that we would want any other man who raped a child (in other words, a paedophile) locked up forever. Witness the lynch-mob frenzy surrounding paedophiles that have actually done their time and released back into the community.

Do we believe that a person should be punished for the crime regardless of age or celebrity? Any reasonable person would argue that all men are equal.

If we believe that a crime committed 30 years ago is an unfortunate part of history, but let’s move on, then should we also forgive and forget war crimes committed under extraordinary circumstances and unlikely to be repeated in peace time? I can’t think of anyone who would agree with that notion.

So why French and Polish leaders are rallying behind Polanski on this issue is quite intriguing. In recent times he gave the world the brilliant film The Pianist. Quite ironic that a movie about the atrocities of the past for which men are still being tracked down and incarcerated should be made by a man who has also committed a heinous crime in his past. We are being asked to never forget one, but forgive and forget the other.

It’s difficult to argue in his favour.

Photo: http://media.photobucket.com

Chris Isaak Just Aged Me

2009-09-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

I went to the State Theatre on Tuesday night to see Chris Isaak. My husband bought the tickets as a surprise. Both of us have been fans since the beginning.

Isaak and his band have been together for 20 years and, once I realised this (he shares trivia such as this throughout the show), I started to do the maths that inevitably ends in tears.

Twenty years ago we were in our twenties and now...well you do the maths. I spent much of the evening observing the audience. A sea of grey hair and polite clapping had replaced the energetic crowds of a couple of decades ago. When Isaak asked the crowd to indicate with a show of hands if you had seen him perform previously, about 90 per cent of hands shot up. It was that sort of night. The audience had grown up and older with him.

Maybe it's because I equate Elvis and Roy Orbison with my parents, and Isaak performed songs made famous by both, or the cheesy sequinned suit and quiffed hair, but I felt uneasy about my evening with Chris Isaak.

Don't get me wrong: Isaak puts on a great show. His voice is still incredible and the best of his songs, like Blue Hotel and Wicked Games, are mesmerising. But seeing him in concert made me feel old.

I wondered whether a former art director of mine would still have a crush on him. Women were certainly doing all they could to get close to Isaak, especially when he came down off the stage and walked through the crowd. But it wasn't the bra-slinging display that he would have experienced in his early years. One woman politely kissed him on the cheek. Another stuck her camera phone in front of his face, almost touching his nose. He never appeared to be at risk of being showered in the lingerie of drunken lovestruck females.

We have tickets to see Pearl Jam in November so hopefully they'll reverse the ageing process for us.

http://www.artistwd.com

The New Fashion: Honesty

2009-09-16T04:33:00.001-07:00

Left: THAKOON READY-TO-WEAR / SPRING 2010

This is what I'd love to be able to wear. I fell in love with Thakoon all over again when casting my eye over the visuals from the New York shows on elle.com.

But of course I can't - I'm a woman over 40 with teenage and tweenage sons. They would never let me leave the house looking like that!

It's usually my 12-year-old who comments first: "Oh god mum, you're not going out wearing that are you?"

Me (a little shell-shocked and after a long pause): "Well, I was going to. Don't you think I should?"

Tweenager: "No way mum, no way."

No matter how confident you are, it's tough to leave the house after that without having changed your outfit (at least once, maybe twice). My far more sensitive husband will generally try to make me feel better by reminding me that our son is 12, "so what would he know about fashion?" But it's a bit like the Emperor's New Clothes. Only a child will tell you the truth (my husband fears upsetting me to be totally honest about what I really look like, mostly).

So when my honest child, who cares far too much about me to let me leave the house looking like mutton dressed as lamb (which is what I'd look like wearing Thakoon Spring 2010) or badly coordinated (although he doesn't understand that it's better not to dress matchy-matchy), tells me that I should get changed I do so immediately.

And that, in my opinion, is one of the worst things about aging. I can no longer wear everything I want to.

Patrick Swayze Made Me Want To Dance

2009-09-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

Like the rest of the world, I was saddened by the death of Patrick Swayze. You don't need to be a fan to believe that death by pancreatic cancer at age 57 is a tragedy.

If I didn't choose journalism as a career, I would like to have been a professional dancer. Most of us have a secret alternate existence that we dream about: Hollywood actors, rockstars, sports heroes. If I could spend my days dancing, I would. No surprises then that my favourite TV show is So You Think You Can Dance. I love it. I watch the Australian version and the American series with equal amounts of enthusiam. In my next life, I want to come back as a contestant.

My mother treated me to dance lessons as a child. I studied tap, jazz and ballet. From the ages of five to 13, dancing consumed our after-school ritual and Saturdays. There were esteddfods, concerts, exams. I wore the most amazing costumes that my mother's dressmaker seemed to whip up effortlessly (it's a shame that I don't have a daughter who can wear them - but I do have nieces). And just like the child beauty queens, I wore far too much makeup during my performances (but that's another story). I was actually very good and have countless gold medals and trophies to attest this.

I was 21 when Dirty Dancing was released at the movies. I couldn't believe my eyes. The most incredible dance moves. I believed that Patrick Swayze's character took Baby out of the corner and taught her to dance from scratch. And if she could do it, surely I could do it too (eight years after hanging up my ballet slippers I felt certain I was back to beginners). I have harboured a soft spot for Swayze ever since.

His death this week was devastating for his family, friends and many, many fans. Those of us who love Dance were also touched by his passing.

For The Love Of Carla

2009-09-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

Left: French President Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni

I love Carla Bruni, always have. I love that she was a rockstar model who famously dated Mick Jagger, that she is 13cm taller than her 165cm short husband French President Nicolas Sarkozy and wears flat shoes in his presence, and that she strokes his hand and pats his bottom in public. She is, after all, Italian, one of the most expressive cultures in the world.

But while most of the world have embraced France's first lady, I discovered recently that the French don't necessarily feel the same way.

"Sarkozy is a loser," announced a French colleague, in Sydney on a business trip.

"His wife leaves him during the campaign for Presidency and then he marries a girl who has slept with all of France...well not all of France because she hasn't slept with me."

He expressed astonishment when I professed that I would be a card-carrying member of a Bruni fan club, if indeed such a group existed.

"The whole world seems to like her," he acknowledged, "but not in France".

"Sarkozy could have any girl he likes and he chooses a girl like her."

Bruni is a successful model turned singer who is more famous than her husband in most parts of the world. The French President lights up when he sees her. That's the kind of girl she is.

Again, this is a clue that France has desperately needed someone like Sarkozy to lead this country of extremes into a modern world where women can also do, say, think whatever they want to without fear of judgment.

Photo: http://i.dailymail.co.uk

Valentino In Living Colour

2009-09-08T05:46:00.001-07:00

My favourite line in this promo is when Valentino asks his partner in life and business Giancarlo Giammetti to tell him how his public appearance went: "tell me the truth".

"You look a little too tan," was Giammetti's response.

Critics have described the documentary Valentino The Last Emperor as "funny, moving and ironic". Valentino is after all as famous for his glamorous gowns as he is for his ever-tanned skin.

Director Matt Tyrnauer, also a Vanity Fair journalist, was given access to the famous haute couture designer's private and business life to capture the days between his seventieth birthday and final fashion show in the wake of a takeover of his brand by a private equity firm.

The yachts, the private jets, the matching dogs. This fashion doco has it all.

Valentino The Last Emperor is due for release in Australian cinemas on September 17. I can't wait.

Speaking In Generational Tongues

2009-09-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

Apart from being quite a funny program, Channel Ten's Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation proved to be a revelation, and not just because host Sean Micallef may have finally found his television niche.

The series was created to show-up the knowledge gaps that are created by being a certain age at a particular time in history. But it was also like a social experiment exposing the communication styles of different age groups. It didn't matter that the contestants were chosen because they were funny or famous. There were still obvious behavioural differences between the teams.

My 12-year-old observed that Generation-Y were really annoying because they could never give a straight answer to anything. From one week to the next, throughout the series, Gen-Y would workshop the answer to a question with the host, not necessarily with one another. They seemed to be searching for an affirmation before they could commit to an answer. It drove us crazy.

Generation-X, when asked a question, would tend to workshop the answer between them before reaching agreement and then responding. They were by far the least showy and less needy of the generations - and not just because this is where I fit into a generational group, in the absence of Generation-Jones.

The Baby Boomers were flying solo, even though they were supposed to be working as a team. By far the most confident of the groups, they would yell out the answer, whether they were sure of it or not, mostly without consulting one another.

Gen-Y are exactly the same in the workforce (at the risk of generalising an entire generation). They say exactly what's on their mind, without self-editing. I find myself thinking, 'well that was far too much information' most times that I am in conversation with one of them. Similarly, the Baby Boomers in the workplace are most likely to be the ones who impose their views on others - it's their way or the highway. Gen-X of course are perfect, but then I am biased.

The lasting impression created by Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation was that we seem to have become less confident and more candid with each generation. I blame the Baby Boomers.

Mick & Jerry's Baby Grown Up

2009-09-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Left: Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall's youngest daughter, Georgia May Jagger, aged 17

Left: Jerry Hall with her three oldest children Elizabeth (left), James (right) and baby Georgia, circa 1993.

It feels like only moments ago that Georgia May Jagger was the pouting pretty baby of the Jagger-Hall union. Look at her now.

Stunningly Bardot-esque, these images are a stark reminder of why most father's fear their little girl growing up.

The children of The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and former model Jerry Hall have managed to avoid the attention of the Australian media, mostly (or maybe I've just been reading the right publications). So it was a huge shock for me to see Georgia in all her teenage glory in the advertisement for Hudson Jeans, given that my most recent visual memory of her was as a cute baby in her mother's arms as in the photo above.

Talk about a wake-up call. How old am I?

Photo 1: http://img524.imageshack.us
Photo 2: http://img.dailymail.co.uk

Hair To Dye For

2009-09-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Carrie Bradshaw is the poster girl for '40 is the new 30'. So news that Carrie and Co are back in the saddle making a sequel to the very fabulous Sex & The City movie caught my attention immediately.

The source of the news for me was online beauty bible primped.com.au*, edited by our twenty-something version of the modern-day IT-girl writer, Zoe Foster. So naturally Carrie's hair was the focal point. And isn't it something to behold.

I tortured my naturally wavy brown hair with straightening irons all through my twenties, wore my hair tied back in a ponytail as a time-poor mother of young children in my thirties and bought into the whole GHD-thing in my forties (back to straightening). I hated my natural curls, cursed them endlessly. That was, until yesterday, when I fell in love with the PRIMPED photo of Sarah Jessica Parker on the set of Sex & The City 2. Yes the dress is gorgeous, the shoes are to obsess over (surely I'm not alone?) and let's not even mention the legs at her age, but it's SJP/Carrie's divine golden brown locks that have started me thinking, and thinking, and wanting.

So now I want to embrace my waves, for the first time in my life. I plan to grow my hair and let it twist and turn where it may. But it looks as though I may be about to embrace colour again. I haven't coloured my hair since my second child was born 12 years ago (no time, no energy). But as my youngest son gets set to join the high school ranks it may be time to express myself again, or at the very least allow my frustrated hairdresser (hairdressers get bored with people like me who say yes to a cut and no to a colour) to express himself.

The last time that I felt this excited about a new hairstyle was when I went crazy over Anne Hathaway's hair perfection in The Devil Wears Prada. This one's much more exciting though because I think I finally have the right hair type to achieve it (my hair was never going to be as sleek as shiny as Anne Hathaway's) and because Carrie (SJP will always be Carrie to me) is squarely in my age bracket (SJP is six months older than me). So I won't have to risk the mutton as lamb tag.

* Declaring my hand: I am the Publisher of this world-class website so I am in the fortunate position of being able to read it all day for professional reasons.

Photo: http://www.primped.com.au

If 40 Is The New 30, What Do I Wear?

2009-09-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

Above: Trenery Spring Summer 09/10

I am a long-time Country Road cardholder. I joined up many moons ago when Country Road was really hot, then moved the card to the back of my wallet when Country Road became mumsy and boring and then pulled it out again when Creative Director Sophie Holt brought the label back to life.

So I have been more than a little intrigued with Country Road's decision to launch its big sister label Trenery. Aimed at an 'older' audience - which is marketing-speak for 40-plus, the inaugural Trenery catalogue arrived in my mailbox today with the new season Country Road catalogue.

I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous little tops and cute side bow dress in the Country Road catalogue (I'm unlikely to ever wear that dress so I will buy the top version and wear it with trousers or a longer skirt). Yet again Sophie Holt has nailed a contemporary urban look for work. Then I flicked open the Trenery catalogue and was given a rude awakening about the fashion expectation of someone my age. Crisp, clean and simple, the Trenery range is probably how I actually dress most of the time, especially when I am in a hurry and don't have the time to indulge my creative urges. I grab the safe option, throw it on my back and race out the door. That's what Trenery says to me.

But fashion's about aspiration. I want to see clothes in a store that I can dream about - frocks that I can't stop thinking about. But there's no twist to Trenery Spring Summer 09. No spark, nothing special. I think I may even have items like all of those represented in the catalogue in my wardrobe already. What I'm likely to add to my wardrobe of classic pieces this summer is a gorgeous top with a stand-out feature, something the Country Road designers have understood so well of late.

So instead of embracing the Trenery catalogue, I found myself engrossed in the Country Road version - apparently aimed at a woman of a more youthful age. So what is a forty-something woman who isn't semi-retired or a full-time soccer mum to do?

Do I don the 40-plus uniform presented by Trenery or do I ignore this categorising of fashion by age and continue to wear what inspires me?

Photos: http://images.smh.com.au

Thank God For Della Bosca's Girlfriend

2009-09-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

Above: John Della Bosca and Belinda Neal

I have found it very difficult to feel sorry for Federal MP Belinda Neal in the wake of the news that her husband and the father of her two children, NSW MP John Della Bosca, has been cheating on her with a much younger women.

Usually this would raise my ire, but like the newspapers that have shown so little sympathy for Neal thus far, I don't care about her. Sorry to break ranks with the sisterhood, but the only time that I've felt any emotion at all about this couple in the past week was when I heard that Della Bosca thought he might be the next Premier. Over my dead body.

So I was actually relieved when the "sex scandal" broke because it meant that Della Bosca would not be Premier and that his wife would not be the State's first lady (or whatever the comparable term is for the wife of the Premier). The thought of the Iguana couple sitting pretty at the head of our State almost made me physically ill last week.

And then just when I was thinking we'd need a miracle or that we'd have to move to another state (in the past it's been proven that where there's smoke, there's fire when it comes to the political rumour mill), along pops the 26-year-old girlfriend of the would-be Premier and, just like that, his political career is over and we can dare to hope for more.

Photo: http://www.abc.net.au

Desperately Seeking A Cancer Cure

2009-08-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

In the past three months, I have discovered that three women in my circle of friends and colleagues have been diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer. All are in their 40s, two with young children. Two of the women were hoping for the all-clear five years after beating late-stage breast cancer, the third was in for a check-up for another unrelated complaint. The prognosis isn't rosy for any of them.

Cancer is a numbers game and it seems these days almost everyone knows someone who has had cancer. When I share my friends' tales with others, they almost always have a story of their own to share: "a parent, sister, friend of a friend has cancer.."

It seems to be on the increase in my circles, but then that may be because I'm aging and along with that comes the increased threat of a serious illness. Or perhaps the theory that the more technology we're exposed to, the greater the risk of cancer is starting to ring true.

I am a Board member for The Cell and Gene Trust, an organisation that raises funds to support the research of Professor John Rasko of RPA Hospital in Sydney. The Professor is on a mission to find a cure for genetically inherited diseases, including cancer. Every time I hear of a new case of cancer, I know that my time on this Board is well spent and that the need to expand the research potential of Professor Rasko and his team has become increasingly urgent, for the sake of our children.

According to the telegraph.co.uk, British scientists believe they may be just two years away from developing a cure for breast cancer. While this is extremely encouraging, it won't come soon enough for the women I know. Or indeed for any of us if we happen to be diagnosed with breast cancer before that time.

I've had a couple of breast cancer scares, having discovered seriously large lumps that caused my GP to insist on my jumping the queue for emergency mammograms: "I have a very large mass that needs to be checked immediately" (GP on the phone to The Mater Hospital x 2). Thankfully on both occasions, the masses proved to be cysts. But the fear of god ran through my entire being each time.

In the past I've put off having checkups and pap smears for fear of what I might discover. But the fear of discovering too late has forced me to rethink that. Talk about a wake-up call.

Image: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The Parenting Dilemma

2009-08-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

When I heard about the six children under six who had been so poorly neglected by their smacked-out parents in Bidwill, in Sydney's outer western suburbs, a chill went through my body.

I started my media career as a cadet journalist for Suburban Community Newspapers and was based at the head office in St Marys, about 15 minutes from Bidwill, for the first 12 months. I did a brief stint as the news reporter for the Mt Druitt Star newspaper during this time and it was here that I realised just how bad some people's lot in life could really be, especially the children.

In conjunction with a major welfare group, we organised for three young children, aged 2-7, to be given Christmas gifts for the first time in their lives. They lived in a tiny Housing Commission townhouse in Bidwill with their single mother. All three children had different fathers and, as the mother chain-smoked her way through a packet of cigarettes during our hour together, she revealed that she didn't have the funds to buy them gifts. We were able to arrange for a toy manufacturer to supply bikes, dolls, trucks. The children were photographed with their gifts for the front page of the newspaper. Seeing the joy on their faces was a life-changing moment for me.

The photographer and I returned a few weeks later to do a follow-up piece for the newspaper, only to discover that the mother had sold all of the toys for cigarette and alcohol money. We were horrified, but what could we do? You can't lock up a parent for selling their child's toys. But you should have seen the sadness in the children's eyes...

The neglected six kids of Bidwill was of course the hot topic of debate on most radio programs this morning. There were people calling for the parents to be thrown in jail, others were suggesting worse. Former football player Mark Geyer, on MMM's The Grill Team, said he'd take them all home and look after them if he could.

How on earth do we protect children from their own parents? This really does need to become a government focus.

Source: http://kritterkorner.files.wordpress.com

The Juggling Sisterhood

2009-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

I went to dinner with a girlfriend on Monday night who is now living overseas and had popped back to Australia for a high-powered consulting job.

My friend is a former Managing Director of one of the world's most successful cosmetic companies. Three years ago she gave birth to her first child and her life was turned on its head.

Realising that it would be near impossible to keep up the pace that her job required, she threw it in for a more balanced existence. Typical though of my driven friend, she took the opportunity to start her own business, took on consulting work with an international group and changed nappies in between.

Do we juggle too much? A rhetorical question.

My friend adores her child and is stimulated by her work but, like the rest of us who are trying to fit three people's lives into one, she's tired. Can we ever give ourselves a break?

I tell my husband all the time that when the boys finish high school I'm going to hang up my career hat. But he looks at me sceptically and says, "you won't, you can't help yourself".

Over a fabulous Thai meal, my friend and I were discussing similar time frames. But even we became unconvinced when our 'next big thing' ideas started to surface.

I'd like to be able to say that women like us will one day stop and smell the roses but the truth is that they don't smell so sweet for us unless we've planted them, watered them, cut them and arranged them. It's how we are wired, it's in our DNA, how do we stop this?

The thing is that juggling is fine is you have an end goal in mind - even if you never allow yourself to reach that end point. Sharing and venting with like-minded girlfriends once in a while, who truly do understand, is all the inspiration I need to keep those balls from coming down unexpectedly.

Image: http://www.sixfiguremomsclub.com

Does My Bum Look Big In This?

2009-08-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

The news that retailer Jeans West has introduced a butt cam to its changing rooms was welcomed by a hoard of women who need to know how they look from behind before they can commit to a purchase.

Clearly designed to give Jeans West a competitive advantage - the rationale being that if customers can't differentiate between stores on any other level they will choose the one that can show them what their bum looks like - the move has at the very least provided some much-needed free media attention.

I'm assuming that the cameras cannot be seen by anyone else in the store and that there won't be any film in the cameras to create a lasting documentary of our change room dramas. Does this worry anyone else? Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd hate for my bum to end up on youtube.

Image: http://farm3.static.flickr.com

Fashion's Genius x 2

2009-08-22T05:17:00.001-07:00

Above: US Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Creative Director Grace Coddington

Anna Wintour said it best toward the end of The September Issue: "Grace Coddington is a genius".

The documentary about the making of the September 2007 issue of American Vogue, released in Australian cinemas this week, highlights Coddington's place as Wintour's right arm in the success of the world's most influential fashion title.

The movie's producers appeared to be attempting to compare and contrast the styles, both physical, creative and commercial, of the two women throughout. Wintour's sleek, glamorous grooming versus Coddington's wild and natural look. Wintour's elegant shoes alongside Coddington's orthopaedic-style sandals. Coddington's passion for telling a story against Wintour's cold calculations of the overall mix of colours, styles, moods and hairstyles.

Coddington received almost as much camera attention as her boss. During the cinema session that I attended, there were audible gasps from the audience every time Wintour dropped certain images from one of Coddington's fashion shoots. It became evident that $50,000 worth of images were dumped from one fashion shoot alone which, depending on which woman had your sympathy by this point, was either a gross waste of resources by Wintour or negligent overspending by Coddington.

The scene reminded me of the fashion shoot that I was forced to chop in half for my first issue as Editor-in-chief of ELLE Australia. The Fashion Director had returned from a fashion trip to Jamaica and I was keen to see the images as the issue was about to close. I was shown a dozen different pictures for the first shoot, featuring Sudanese model Alek Wek: all shot at night against a barbed wire fence with black clothing. The images were beautiful and arty but you couldn't see the clothes. Apparently the photographer didn't want to do the typical beach thing with colour - oh no, as an artist he wanted to try something new and fresh, a little bit like what Fashion Editor Tonne Goodman experienced on the very ordinary Sienna Miller shoot in Rome. Photographer Mario Testino decided not to photograph the Colosseum look that Wintour was hoping for because it wasn't working for him.

Unfortunately, readers of fashion magazines don't have the luxury of a fashion editor to stand next to them to explain the value of fashion as art as they gaze at the images in bewilderment. And so like Wintour with the Galliano images, I proceeded to chop the story back to six images. Suffice to say my Fashion Director didn't hang around for as long as Coddington has, but then I wasn't editing American Vogue.

Wintour's job as the editor is to edit the magazine for its readers. Readers only know what they see when they are staring at the newsstand or giving a magazine an indecisive flick. An editor has a minute to wow her before she gets bored and picks up a competitive title. Wintour's seemingly brutal cutting of fashion shoots is done for that very reason. She's not selling an art magazine, or compiling a photographer's portfolio. Hers is a commercial proposition at the very heart of a multi-billion dollar global fashion industry. And for that Wintour makes no apologies - not even during the film's most poignant moment when she shares her family's obvious disapproval of her line of work - and nor should she.

The September Issue confirmed that Wintour is worth every penny that she is paid; that Grace Coddington is an extraordinary talent that has taken US Vogue into its own fashion stratosphere; that Andre Leon Talley is extremely keen on himself and the art director is a total yes man. Both men were completely disappointing. Both women proved even more fabulous than I was anticipating.

And that's the long way of saying that I loved The September Issue.

Photo: http://abcnews.go.com

Keeping Up With Generation Jones

2009-08-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.jonathanpontell.com

According to generationjones.com, the annual Associated Press Trend Report has chosen the rise of Generation Jones as the number one trend for 2009.

For the longest time I have been lead to believe that I am a Gen Xer. The label sat well with me relative to the other generations as, year of birth aside, I'm too cynical to be a baby boomer and too driven to be part of Gen Y. So I was curious to learn that in fact I'm neither.

My generation, born between the years of 1954 and 1965, are characterised as less optimistic, distrusting of government and generally cynical. Sociologist Jonathan Pontell named us Generation Jones due to our apparent in-betweenness of a generation lost or anonymous (hence the common name Jones) and our yearning or craving for more (keeping up with the Joneses).

I would hasten to add that Generation Jones could also be described as the generation that doesn't suffer fools. And while wanting to work alongside the best can be liberating, it's also undoubtedly the major reason for an enduring sense that there must be something more. Unlike the baby boomers I know who have put their career before their personal needs and the Gen X-ers I know who put their personal needs before their careers, I have struggled with both. My Generation Jones value system has prevented me from engaging with those who don't share my principles and outlook. That's apparently why I always feel like I'm fighting for something.

"It is said that Jonesers were given huge expectations as children in the 1960s, and then confronted with a different reality as they came of age in the 1970s, leaving them with a certain unrequited, jonesing quality." Wikipedia

I feel like a child who has met their real family for the first time. A sense of belonging can be a powerful thing, especially when my new generation includes the likes of Barack Obama.

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar

2009-08-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

I had just turned seven when Helen Reddy released I Am Woman. I recall hearing it on the radio and listening intently to the lyrics. Clearly too young to fully comprehend its intent, I did like what I was hearing.

With an Italian mum and Chinese father, I grew up in a family with traditional values - meaning that the females served the males. It was something I fought against from an early age. It never sat right with me that perfectly able-bodied males needed a woman or girl to get them a drink while they sat back and enjoyed the footy, even before I heard Reddy's song. Clearly I wasn't alone.

The song immediately became the anthem of the women's liberation movement in the seventies and now, 37 years later, it has been included in the 2009 Top 10 choices of significant Australian sounds.

Its greatest contribution, aside from being a catchy tune, is that it gave a voice to what many women were thinking and feeling about their station in life. And that's why I was delighted to hear that it had been included along with the likes of Yothu Yindi's Treaty and The Vegemite Song in the National Film and Sound Archive.

The inclusion of Reddy's most famous single in this important list means that a new generation of women will be exposed to it. Generation Y won't identify with its message in the way that Gen X and the younger Baby Boomers have because the good fight was fought for them. They already know that if they have to they can face anything.

Educating Ashley

2009-08-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

I knew there was a reason I liked Ashley Judd the minute I first saw her on screen in Kiss The Girls more than a decade ago. According to The Daily Beast , Judd has enrolled at Harvard University to study for a master of public administration.

Judd's passion for learning was fueled when she recently decided to complete the degree in French that she began before her successful film career took off.

She officially became one of my girl crushes (the other is Diane Lane) when I found myself at the preview of Someone Like You in 2001. Beautiful in a strong, smart way Judd was always most likely actress to use her brain and success for the good of others. Putting her mind where her mouth is, the 41-year-old publicly campaigned for Obama at the last US Presidential election before taking on her master's degree at Harvard's Kennedy School, which boasts world leaders as graduates including Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

Appointed Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS, an education and prevention program of the international NGO Population Services International (PSI), promoting AIDS prevention and treatment, Judd is active in political and humanitarian causes and speaks and demonstrates at pro-choice events.

Celebrities who use their fame to grab attention for worthy causes get a big tick in my book.

Nude Or Not?

2009-08-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

Fashion designer Stella McCartney is being sued for using the word 'nude' in naming her latest fragrance Stella Nude.

According to a report on UK Vogue, the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney has attracted the wrath of U2 Bono's wife Ali Hewson, who owns a company called Nude Skincare.

Do we really believe there would be brand confusion between McCartney's style and that of the eco-focused Hewson? Or is it more likely that the Nude Skincare line was planning to roll out a Nude fragrance of their own someday?

Consumers are either savvy enough to know the names behind their brands these days or happy not to care. In my book there is a big difference between Stella Nude and Nude Skincare. Now if McCartney were to launch a range of Stella Nude Skincare there might be something to get annoyed about.

All of the attention given to Stella Nude has heightened my interest in trying the new fragrance. With a bit of luck the talented designer will sell copious amounts of perfume to pay for the legal bills that will surely be mounting.

WE Are The (Netball) Champions

2009-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Media Release – Friday 14 August

Australia dominates Pool at World Netball Youth Championships

With one Pool game to come the Australian 21/U side have dominated their opening matches at the World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC).

During the last three days the young Australians have convincingly defeated South Africa, Samoa and Botswana and will now face Fiji in their final match before the quarter-finals.

Australia is set to meet the major title-threats; defending champions New Zealand, England and Jamaica in the Final Series.

Australia faces Fiji on Saturday 15 August.

Results:

Australia (73) defeated South Africa (22)

Australia (89) defeated Samoa (38)

Australia (97) defeated Botswana (11)

For more WYNCinformationincluding match reports and tour diaries:

Visit www.netball.asn.au

Shoe Envy

2009-08-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.net-a-porter.com

Everyone who knows me is well aware of my shoe obsession. It is well-documented that I had to unpack my suitcase at JFK airport on the return leg of a recent trip to New York, to redistribute weight. Seventeen pairs of shoes were the culprit. I bought seven pairs while I was there, but only four were for me. By deduction its clear that I took 10 pairs with me.

We were there for eight days but with day and evening options, I managed to wear them all.

A few weeks have passed since I bought a pair of shoes and already I'm professing adoration for another. The YSL sandals that you see above are what I am currently dreaming about.

Yes that's right. I dream about shoes. Always have. Even when I was playing with Barbie as a child. I have a niece that does the same.There must be a gene that causes this behaviour. I am clearly powerless to resist.

I ship shoes in from London, courtesy of a net-a-porter shopping addiction. I know it's irrational and I am the first to admit that I own more shoes than one person could hope to wear in a given season. But I love shoes in a Carrie Bradshaw way. Like my Sex & The City favourite before she got hitched and given an entire glorious room to display her shoes, I store them in their boxes in no particular order.

Every time I buy a new pair, I tell myself that it may be time to part with an old pair - but so far I haven't listened.

The September Issue Is Coming....

2009-08-11T14:44:00.001-07:00

Above: Anna Wintour takes centre stage in The September Issue.
Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com

The much-anticipated The September Issue, a documentary about the making of US Vogue's September 2007 edition, is due in Australian cinemas at the end of the month.

Weighing five pounds, the September edition is the thickest magazine ever published apparently. Makes sense. Advertisers would have been made aware of the fact that Anna Wintour and crew were making a documentary of their publishing endeavours for that edition so the savvy marketers would have signed on immediately in order for their brands to be included in the discussion and immortalised on film. A great marketing opportunity all round.

Stylish Fashion Documentaries - The Daily Beast

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Wedding Fever

2009-08-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of launching an Australian chapter of the world's number one website, The Knot. As a result of the compelling content we are engaging with day in, day out, most of the never-been-married girls (as opposed to the single, divorced women) have developed wedding fever.

Never before have I heard so much talk about diamond rings, white dresses and floral arrangements. Not uncommon for the staff of a wedding website granted, but it's becoming extraordinarily personal...and determined.

I'm running a side bet with the rare few who have been there and done that as to which one of our eligible bachelorettes (I apologise for the reference but I got hooked on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette again courtesy of new digital channel Go) gets engaged first.

Will it be the one who emails her partner images of favoured engagement rings? Or the one who bought a sparkly dress that she dubbed 'the diamond' as an incentive (his)? Or perhaps the one who leaves wedding magazines next to their bed - on his side?

Or will it in fact be the one who is sitting back watching the wedding fever take hold of the rest of the office while remaining cool and quiet on the subject?

Experience dictates the more that women encourage a proposal, the longer it takes for them to get one. Alternatively there's nothing wrong with a woman doing the asking if she thinks her guy could cope (warning: not all men can cope).

The betting's wide open at the moment. Watch this space.

Defining A Generation Of Loners & Losers

2009-08-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

Left: Director John Hughes.

Source: http://www.wpix.com

Director John Hughes defined what it was like to be a teenager in the eighties. His impressive body of work, that was kick-started by the success of Sixteen Candles in 1984 starring Molly Ringwald, examined the darker side of puberty.

Rather than focus on the cheerleader cheese Hughes, who died this week of a heart attack aged 59, captured what it felt like to be a loner and a loser. To his great delight and success, most teenagers of the eighties could relate to his characters. In fact most people of any generation could identify with the feeling of being the forgotten child, the kid picked last for team sports, the insecure one trying to disguise it with rebellion.

The movies that would later define his film-making career, including The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, cemented his affinity with awkward teenagers. Two decades later, Hughes' films have achieved cult status with Generation X. He is unlikely to be forgotten.

The Breakfast Club

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Copy Cat Or Just Catty?

2009-08-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

Collette Dinnigan S/S 09 (left) S/S 09 and Thurley S/S 09 (right)
Source: The Daily Telegraph

The big story in Australian (an important qualification) fashion today is that the queen of our local industry Collette Dinnigan has taken umbrage with the amount of inspiration that a rising star, Helen O'Connor of the Thurley label, has injected into her latest collection.

And fair enough too if in fact O'Connor had copied Dinnigan. To my untrained eye there is a fairly significant difference between the two signature styles. The Thurley label is young and whimsical. Collette Dinnigan is elegant and sophisticated. Sure, they both share modern and pretty. But is that enough to qualify for the rip-off tag?

According to David Jones fashion maven Collette Garnsey, whom one would assume to have a trained eye after all of her years working closely with fashion, and who is responsible for nurturing the success of the Thurley label through David Jones, there are no similarities between the two designers' styles.

There was a suggestion that Dinnigan may have had her nose out of joint when she discovered, while seated front row, that Thurley was given the prestigious opening to Tuesday night's Spring/Summer showing. In years gone by, Collette Dinnigan almost always opened or closed the show. Surely a successful designer like Dinnigan wouldn't be bitter about a relative newcomer getting a bit of a leg-up in the industry that she dominates?

Perhaps Dinnigan should be more concerned that fashion label Willow received all of the accolades from Australia's band of fashion magazine editors post-show. According to The Daily Telegraph's Annette Sharp in Sydney Confidential today, the Editors of Vogue, Grazia and Marie Claire all declared Willow as among the hits of the night. Apparently not a single editor mentioned the Collette Dinnigan label.

The Fashion Blogger Power List - The Daily Beast

2009-08-04T05:49:00.001-07:00

The Fashion Blogger Power List - The Daily Beast

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IDM Ties The Knot For An October Launch

2009-08-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

MEDIA RELEASE
3rd August 2009

INDEPENDENT DIGITAL MEDIA TO LAUNCH WEDDING SITE THEKNOT.COM.AU

Independent Digital Media (IDM) has announced a significant step in the creation of its high-quality women’s lifestyle portfolio of websites with an innovative, one-stop wedding site, TheKnot.com.au, set to launch in October 2009.

IDM has entered into a license deal with the world’s #1 wedding website TheKnot.com, which has an average of 2.3 million unique browsers globally per month, to launch the hugely popular site in Australia.

“TheKnot.com already boasts more than 31,000 monthly Australian-based unique browsers, which gives us a strong local audience from day one,” said IDM’s Publisher Marina Go.

“IDM differentiates itself from competitors through innovation and elevating both the user experience and the advertiser experience, and this new site will be a perfect example of this approach.”

The site is set to become the most comprehensive and integrated wedding site in the country, a mix of locally produced editorial and international content.

Former Westfield’s whatswhat.com.au Editor Alicia Richardson has been appointed Editor, and Conde Nast New York’s former Accessories Editor for Modern Bride Magazine Tania Riddell has been appointed Fashion Editor.

“We’re so excited to be working with such a strong editorial team. Together we’ll collaborate to combine our vast archives with fresh local wedding planning content, creating an inspirational and practical resource for Australian brides,” said The Knot Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Carley Roney.

TheKnot.com.au will join IDM’s beauty site PRIMPED.com.au, which launched in August last year and is now considered Australia’s leading premium, dedicated beauty website.

“Our goal is to launch five key online lifestyle brands. PRIMPED.com.au has beauty covered and we are confident TheKnot.com.au will become the market leader in the bridal category,” said IDM’s Deputy General Manager James Hannan.

“With the Australian wedding market worth $5 billion, 110,000 weddings a year and the average price of an Australian wedding at $30,000, TheKnot.com.au not only has broad appeal, but will cater to a relatively recession-proof market.”

Site features include:
• Unique format of searchable directories of everything from gowns to jewellery to flowers to honeymoons
• Photo galleries of ideas for all wedding elements from engagement to reception
• Advice on etiquette
• Planning tools covering budgets, guest lists, gift registers and seating plans
• A virtual scrapbook
• Community forums
• Real Weddings

TheKnot.com.au landing page, live from 3rd August, features a competition to win a Palazzo Versace escape prize; and a there is a display advertising package to be won for clients who sign up to join the directory with an enhanced listing from launch.

ENDS

My Vogue Australia

2009-07-31T21:22:00.001-07:00

Left: Cate Blanchett, immortalised in illustration on the cover of Vogue Australia's 50th anniversary issue, on sale next week.

Vogue Australia turns 50 this week, the fourth edition launched of a global fashion phenomenon.

Its main rival in the Australian magazine market Harper's Bazaar, launched, closed and then launched again. Meanwhile, the most important fashion magazine brand in the world today has endured through changes of management, from Conde Nast Australia to Michael Hannan's FPC magazines to current licensees News Limited.

The 50th anniversary edition offers four different collectable covers - all featuring an illustration of Cate Blanchett wearing one of four nominated fashion designers. The covers, revealed in The Weekend Australian today, are breathtaking. Editor Kirstie Clements says the hairs on the back of her neck stood up when the concept for illustrated covers was first raised. I had a similar experience when I saw the finished product as I was reading the newspaper over breakfast.

I fell in love with Vogue Australia when I was 16. Consumed by the fantasy of its fashion pages, then directed by the extraordinary talent of Judith Cook, I was smitten from the first issue that I purchased with my casual wages as a shop assistant. That was 27 years ago and the Vogue masthead still sits higher up the fashion chain for me than any other magazine brand. If I desire an indulgent fashion flick, it's Vogue all the way.

Vogue is a title that I wish I could have edited in my magazine editing career. I was offered the editorship of Vogue Australia in 1999, while Editor-in-chief of ELLE Australia, but the timing just wasn't right for me. It was probably a good thing. I've never been able to enjoy reading a magazine that I once edited because it always feels like work.

I can't wait to get my copy of this special birthday edition. I know I won't be disappointed.

Images: http://justjared.buzznet.com

Speed Shopping: Travel Tips For The Time-Poor

2009-07-31T18:40:00.001-07:00

I've been told that I shop like a man. Apparently being decisive, buying more than you try on and doing it all in short time bursts is a masculine way to buy clothing.

I read somewhere that women buy 20 percent of everything they try on, whereas men purchase 80 percent of anything they bother to take into the change room. The theory being that women try to decide; men try on for correct sizing once they have already decided. In that way, I am certainly more like the male gender when I go shopping.

The issue for me is time. Rarely do I have the hours to browse directionless. I usually know what I'm looking for before I enter a store and exit rapidly if I can't find it. I managed to cover the majority of the stores in the Soho area with an hour a day of 'free time' on a recent business trip to New York.

So here's a rough guide to how I manage to tip the luggage weight scales every time I head o/s on a full-scheduled business trip:

1. Know what you need before you enter a store. That doesn't mean that you can't find something you want as you're looking for what you need (I inevitably do).

2. Be decisive. If you've fallen in love with something you didn't previously know you needed (but now know you can't live without), then buy it. I have spent too many regretful days thinking about the Gucci shoes I should have bought on a Milan shopping trip a few years ago. If you're in another country or city, it's unlikely you'll be back there next week if you wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly realise you definitely need that item. Or is that just me?

3. Buy for your style and body shape. If you know what suits you, then it's easier to be decisive. I can speed-flick through racks of clothing now in seconds: yes, no, maybe - it's all about knowing what will and won't work.

4. Avoid fashion trends. What's IN today can be OUT tomorrow, but you'll be stuck with an expensive purchase regardless. Only buy-in to a fashion trend if you truly love the item of clothing regardless, or you are a fashion editor and have no choice but to be fashion forward.

5. If it's on special and less then $20, don't waste time thinking about it. Buy now, think later.

6. Only take into the change room the items that you will definitely buy if the fit is perfect. Avoid the temptation to try on everything you touch and hope for the best. This is the single biggest waste of time in the shopping process.

Happy and speedy shopping!

Bridezilla...or not?

2009-07-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

When this youtube video was shown on Oprah there was much debate about its authenticity. Having been a bride myself, albeit many moons ago, I can see how this might have actually occurred. But really, would a bride lop off her own locks hours before her wedding, Shirley Temple ringlets aside?

I tore my bridal bouquet apart an hour before my wedding due to some inappropriate inclusion of baby's breath, which I am not a fan of. But that is small fry compared with the decision to take scissors to your own hair.

What do you think? Real or not?

Top 10 Places To Eat In New York (in no particular order, although Balthazar is my favourite)

2009-07-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

1. Balthazar
Where: 80 Spring Street, Soho
What: French bistro meals
When: breakfast through to supper
Why: caramelised banana ricotta tart
Website: www.balthazarny.com
Image: http://i.ehow.com

2. Les Halles
Where: 411 Park street, Midtown
What: Parisian-style brassierie
When: breakfast, lunch and dinner, brunch, continuous service.
Why: pave de thon grille, sauce vierge, legumes grilles a l'huile d'olive
Website: www.leshalles.net/ny_park
Image: http://www.mightymac.org

3. Nobu Next Door
Where: 105 Hudson Street, Tribeca
What: Japanese, seaside
When: late-night dining
Why: the raw bar
Website: www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/nextdoornobu
Image: http://images.nextstop.com

4. Chinatown Brasserie
Where: 380 Lafayette @ Great Jones, Noho
What: Chinese answer to Balthazar
When: lunch and dinner
Why: Peking duck with homemade mandarin pancakes
Website: www.chinatownbrasserie.com
Image: http://nycblog.citysearch.com

5. Gemma
Where: The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery Street, Noho
What: rustic Italian
When: breakfast, lunch and dinner, brunch
Why: sea-bass crudi
Website: www.theboweryhotel.com
Image: http://newyork.joonbug.com

6. Ruby's Cafe & Bar
Where: 219 Mulberry St, Nolita
What: cafe, inspired by Australia's east-coast
When: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Why: the Bronte burger
Website: www.rubyscafe.us
Image: http://1.bp.blogspot.com

7. Ferrara
Where: 195 Grand Street, Little Italy
What: bakery and cafe, espresso bar
When: from breakfast till late
Why: key lime pie
Website: www.ferraracafe.com/nyc
Image: http://www.i-italy.org

8. Tribeca Grill
Where: 375 Greenwich St, Tribeca
What: market-driven menu
When: lunch, dinner, brunch
Why: roasted striped bass, crawfish, corn & fava bean succotash
Website: www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribecagrill
Image: http://newyorknewyork.com

9. Jubilee
Where: 447 Broadway, Soho
What: delicatessen
When: 24 hours
Why: sushi and salad bar
Image: http://www.grubhub.com

10. Cafe Gitane
Where: 242 Mott Street, Nolita
What: French-Moroccan
When: 9am - midnight
Why: Moroccan couscous with red peppers, raisins, toasted pinenuts, hummus and eggplant
Website: www.cafegitanenyc.com
Image: http://media.photobucket.com

A New York Dash

2009-07-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Above: Interior of the Guggenheim Museum, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece

To most New Yorkers, Saturday represents the beginning of a weekend unwind. To those of us due to fly out of the city, it was a last chance to do and see the final things on our wishlist.

We started with brunch back at Balthazar, in an effort to leave a lasting good impression of New York dining and erase the horror of the previous night's dinner. The recommended scrambled eggs with puff pastry were inspired and will be remembered for some time.

Next it was uptown to the Guggenheim Museum to view the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition, From Within Outward. It was an opportunity to gain a better appreciation of the full body of work (built and unbuilt) of this visionary modernist architect. The Guggenheim Museum itself is one of Lloyd Wright's famous structures and exemplifies his love of new materials such as concrete and steel, post Industrial Revolution.

I have been to New York many times but never taken the elevator ride to the top of the Rockefeller Centre. We decided that a spectacular view of New York would be a fitting way to end our tour of the city. The view from 'The Top Of The Rock' is breathtaking. You need to see Central Park from up there to fully appreciate its size. Then looking back toward the financial district and past the beautiful Empire State Building, still my favourite in this city, you are reminded of the tragedy that changed a city's skyline forever.

Above: The Empire State Building from the top of The Rockefeller Centre, with the financial district beyond.

On the way back to our hotel, the taxi weaved its way through Times Square to give us a final view of the hustle and bustle of a city that never sleeps.

After a week in New York its finally time to say goodbye and board that Qantas jet for the long haul home. I'm hoping to be back here again soon.

Shopping In A New York Minute

2009-07-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Left: The spoils of New York shopping

I spoke to my husband via skype this morning. It's my last day in New York this time round and he was questioning me on the week I've just had.

"Did you buy anything?" he asked innocently.

Bless him. After 16 years of marriage, Graeme still chooses to think the best of me.

It wasn't an entirely silly question, though, my passion for fashion aside. This is a business trip and he knows I was in back-to-back meetings. So his question was around timing rather than intent.

Luckily for me, we were based in offices on Broadway, in the heart of Soho shopping. I ducked out at lunchtime, walked back to the hotel via the shops rather than taxi back, and took advantage of the odd hole in the daily schedule.

Having shopped this city many times before - I think this may be my fifth trip to New York, I was already of the opinion that the best shopping is downtown.

I stocked up on Levis, t-shirts and Converse sneakers for the boys. I always buy them a souvenir of the city when I'm away, so I am taking home a copy of a script of a Seinfeld episode for my 15-year-old who studies drama, and a framed cover of New Yorker magazine featuring the Empire State Building and three gorillas lazing on a rooftop nearby for my 11-year-old who already has a healthy appreciation for art.

Graeme also did well: Levis, Fruit Of The Loom t-shirts in undershirt quality that you just can't find back home, a John Lennon t-shirt (as a nod to our 1990 visit to the Dakota Building together to reflect on the day Lennon was gunned down outside his residence in 1980), plus a few other bits and pieces.

Once the boys were taken care of, I could shop freely. There is a gorgeous little Bloomingdale on Broadway at this end of town and it rewarded me well. I purchased five pairs of shoes there (although one pair was for my mother who had moved into my home to care for my family in my absence).

I spent many New York minutes in Hugo Boss (a long-time favourite of mine - the women's collection is incredibly good value for the style and quality), due to the 50 per cent off sale.

For quality basics at my age (not dead yet, but wanting to dress more 30 than 20 which means I like my bottom covered), I fell again for Banana Republic. The store never disappoints. I checked out Zara, Top Shop and H&M too, all of which had fantastic sales, some as much as 80 per cent off, but the quality and cut was for a woman of a much younger age - meaning I'd either be flashing my bottom or breasts if I was to wear any of it.

The cool editors and fashion staff in our place of business were dressed in a Palm Beach meets New York style. They recommended Calypso at 191 Lafayette Street for a lesson on New York dressing in summer. It proved to be a great tip and I purchased a couple of things in order to bring a little New York summer back to Sydney.

We leave New York tonight, following visits to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition and The Rockefeller Centre for final views over Central Park.

With my wardrobe now updated and New York experiences refreshed, it's time to blog out from New York.

x

In Search Of Key Lime Pie

2009-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Left: Key lime pie, Ferrara Pasticceria Espresso Bar, Little Italy, NY

I blame myself. The first time I visited New York in 1990 a friend took me to a creole restaurant and I tasted my first piece of key lime pie. I was hooked. I was keen for a key lime experience on this trip, believing it to be the perfect way to cap off a successful visit.

We asked the hotel concierge for a recommendation. My request was simple: a restaurant that served key lime pie for dessert.

"You'll be wanting Southern food then," the concierge said.

We nodded trustingly and then left it to the concierge to make a booking.

It was our final night in New York and as our stay had coincided with restaurant week we had managed to dine at some of the city's best establishments to date, including Balthazar and Nobu. We were looking forward to trying somewhere new before signing off.

We were given the address of a restaurant in Chelsea called Hill Country. As we pulled up outside we could see that the restaurant was alive with customers, jam-packed. It was looking promising.

As we walked into Hill Country, the first thing I noticed was a massive sign hanging over a buffet-style set-up where customers were queueing. The sign read, 'Barbeque and Sausages'. It was then that we should have gone with our gut and done a runner. But against our better judgment (and with the hope of key lime pie ever present) we took our reserved table before lining up for a helping of pork spare ribs (where for no extra cost you can get hit on by the greasy bald guy behind the counter), Bourbon sweet potato mash (that was overpowered by the main ingredient:Bourbon), corn bread (the only thing edible on my tray), a corn concoction that I don't even want to think about, and macaroni and cheese (bland and sickly). I had been hoping for creole cooking. Instead we were dining on crud.

Left: Chowing down on pork spare ribs at Hill Country.

We knew we were asking for trouble or a triple bypass at some point in the future when the brown paper that the ribs were wrapped in turned opaque, as the result of the oil they were dripping in, before we'd even made it back to the table. (I had to wash my hands three times with soap to lessen the smell of pork - I just know that I'll have to cut off my hands if I want to be rid of it forever.) To add insult to an inedible meal, key lime pie did not feature on the menu.

Quitting while we still had our health seemed like the only option, so we high-tailed it out of there before our bodies had time to reject their dinner.

In an effort to salvage our last night in New York, we decided to continue the search for key lime pie. Reward came in the form of Ferrara Pasticceria Espresso Bar in Little Italy (it was either Little Italy or Harlem, following a Google search for 'key lime pie, NY'). Thank god for the Italians.

Left: Little Italy, NY

At 10pm, the place was pumping and we finally felt that we were back on the good food track. The key lime pie was sensational. As good as I recalled it to be on my previous visits to New York.

As we departed Little Italy for The Bowery Hotel, we made a pact to never speak of Hill Country beyond this evening, lest it tarnish our New York.

Ferrara is at 195 Grand Street, Little Italy.
Hill Country is in Chelsea, no need for you to know exactly where.

A Day For Icons, Past & Present

2009-07-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Above: Pallbearers carry the casket of iconic US newsreader Walter Cronkite down the steps at his funeral at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York. Photo: AP

We taxied our way down Park Avenue toward our hotel in Soho this afternoon, following a visit to the Museum of Modern Art. Just after passing the Waldorf Astoria, we noticed a large gathering of journalists and photographers lining the footpath of a beautiful old church. We wondered aloud what important event was transpiring inside. The church was St. Bartholomew's, and inside we would later learn was the funeral service for iconic newsman Walter Cronkite.

What a stroke of luck to have passed as this extraordinary journalist's life was being celebrated.

Left: Robert De Niro's Tribeca Grill

This evening we chose to dine at an establishment owned by one of New York's living icons, Robert De Niro. Tribeca Grill opened in 1990 and has been a tourist attraction ever since, largely as the result of its famous owner.

A De Niro original drawing features as the menu cover, just in case you needed reminding of the restaurant's famous link.

As it is restaurant week in New York, we chose to try the Prix Fix menu, which looked like great value at $35.

All three courses were sensational. I started with the Fennel Soup, followed by Roasted Bass and finished off with a delightful Peach Tart. I do love my desserts. Given that the Roasted Bass alone is priced at $31 a la carte, I believe I chose very well.

The service was fast and efficient, especially given that the restaurant was packed to the rafters and by 8pm already onto its second sitting. The food lived up to expectations.

Tribeca Grill is at 375 Greenwich St.

Photo of Walter Cronkite's funeral: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Classic Wall Hangings At MoMa

2009-07-23T15:30:00.001-07:00

Left: Paul Cezanne's Still Life With Fruit Dish at the Museum of Modern Art, NY

It was the 'Cezanne To Picasso' exhibition that drew me back to New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) after a break of nine years. The installation is a display of nine early modern European paintings that David and Peggy Rockefeller have promised to the museum, including Cezanne's Still Life With Fruit Dish.

I studied art throughout high school and my favourite stream was the modern art movement. A quarter of a century later, I still feel fortunate to be in the presence of the paintings that I studied and admired, from the Impressionists of Monet, through to the Pop Art movement lead by Andy Warhol. It doesn't matter how many times I have viewed an original artwork by one of those painters, I continue to be delighted.

The exhibition features classic examples of Post-Impressionist, Fauvist, and Cubist painting, and celebrates the early flowering of modern art.

It is an entree to the wider delights of the modern art and avant garde movements with the cream of the world's renowned paintings hanging on the walls at MoMa. You will indeed feel like a child in a lolly shop when you spy Andy Warhol's Golden Marilyn Monroe holding pride of place in one room, Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night lighting up another and Mondrian's Trafalgar Square featuring prominently in a third.

Left: Andy Warhol's classic Campbell's Soup Cans at The Museum of Modern Art, NY

MoMa's collection of modern paintings is breathtaking with an entire room devoted to Jackson Pollack (my 15-year-old son's namesake) and more Picassos than can be viewed within the context of an exhibition. You'll find a couple of Picassos hanging out near the stairwells too.

The works of art at MoMa have to be seen to be believed.

MoMa is at 11 West 53 St, NY

Finding Fortune At Chinatown

2009-07-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Left: Chinatown Brasserie, New York

I am in New York on business and to celebrate the beginning of a new and hopefully prosperous business relationship our partners took us to dinner at Chinatown Brasserie, a venue that has always proven lucky for them.

As I tucked into an array of traditional Chinese dishes, including my favourite Peking Duck (an astonishingly good version), I was suddenly feeling the luck of the venue too.

The specialty of the house are the dim sums and dumplings, created by Cantonese dim sum chef Joe Ng. Definitely worth savouring.

Cocktails are on the menu and an interesting modern addition to a Chinese meal. The fortune cookies even have a modern twist: chocolate flavoured.

The decor is Suzy Wong meets, well, New York. Modern, hip and yet with a sweet nod to the supper clubs of Hong Kong, where wealthy businessmen wrap up the day.

If you have a hankering for a good Chinese meal, as we did, you won't be disappointed.

Chinatown Brasserie is at 380 Lafayette @ Great Jones.

Australians In New York

2009-07-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Above: Former Australian photographer Stuart Ramson shoots Australian swimsuit designer Zimmermann's new resort collection on the rooftop of New York's Empire Hotel.

I caught up with a friend for lunch yesterday, former News Limited photographer Stuart Ramson, who now resides in New York with his American wife and three children.

Our venue of choice was Ruby's Cafe & Bar in Nolita, a popular lunchtime haunt for Australians living in New York I discovered (even the waiter was Australian). Offering a variety of Aussie-style burgers, including the Bondi and Bronte burgers, brilliant salads and mixed fruit smoothies, Ruby's was the perfect place for us to catch up on the media news of both our cities.

Stuart and I went on many jobs together back in the heyday of News Limited's Daily Mirror newspaper. We keep in touch these days via facebook.

Stuart regaled me with stories about some of the extraordinary photographic jobs he has done over the years he has lived in New York, from taking that now iconic photo of The Statue of Liberty with thick, black smoke from The World Trade Centre burning billowing behind it, to photographing Paul Newman and Robert Redford during the filming of Iconoclasts.

Following our lunch, I walked the four blocks back to the office on Broadway to continue the business at hand, while Stuart was heading off to pick up some Yankee tickets for an event he was covering at the Stadium the following evening. After collecting the tickets he was off to The Empire Hotel to shoot a new swimwear collection by Australian designers Zimmermann.

Stuart's photo appeared in the following day's edition of The Australian newspaper, where he once was employed as a staff photographer and where my husband (who also worked alongside Stuart years ago) still works. What a small world.

Ruby's Cafe & Bar is at 219 Mulberry St.

Photo: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Financial Ruins

2009-07-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Left: Ground Zero, July 21, 2009.

I was worried about how I would feel when confronted with the reality of a New York without The World Trade Centre. Most of my travel photos of the city, from previous visits, have them in the background somewhere. The twin towers were so tall that you could see them from virtually any part of Manhattan. I wondered how emotional it would be to see a New York skyline without them.

The skyline is noticeably different and that's an odd feeling after nine years away from this city. I experienced mixed feelings about visiting Ground Zero on this trip. It was always something that I thought my husband and I would do together, as the last time we were in New York we climbed to the very top of one of the towers to view New York in its entirety, as only one could do from the viewing floors of the World Trade Centre. But it was something I needed to do, if only out of respect to those whose lives were lost on September 11, 2001.

Left: World Trade Centre, before September 11, 2001

Ground Zero, almost eight years later, is one big construction site. The enormity of the gaping hole between buildings is breathtaking. However, the huge barriers around Ground Zero prevent the full force of the horror from being relived. It's almost impossible to see in. You are forced to look across and up instead. And that's probably a good thing. And in many ways symbolic of the challenge facing New Yorkers who have to move beyond the terror of this tragic event and rebuild their financial district.

I'll never forget the day the twin towers came down, but it will no longer haunt me.

Photo of World Trade Centre: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/73/99573-004-8D6BBE81.jpg

Balthazar By Night & Day

2009-07-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Above: Balthazar streetscape

Left: The Balthazar buzz

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. In New York, that means experiencing the French cuisine at Balthazar.

Notoriously difficult to get into (we had to beg on the grounds that we were Australians leaving the city at the end of the week - did the trick), the favourite of many New Yorkers, past and present, lives up to its reputation.

I first dined at Balthazar in the year of its opening, 1997. It became a must-dine destination virtually from day one, the reviews reaching Australia like wildfire. It was on my list of things to do in New York, and 12 years later it was again on my list.

Balthazar by night encapsulates the buzz of New York. A vibrant cosmos in its own right, the place is as much about who is there as what you're eating. New Yorkers choose Balthazar as their celebration destinations, such as the couple seated next to us who were enjoying a birthday dinner.

I chose the lamb tenderloins with roasted vegetables and cous cous (I have a thing for cous cous). This was a spectacularly good version and the lamb was so tender that I barely had to chew it. The best lamb I've tasted.

Dessert was the caramelised banana tart. Again, extraordinary.

The meal was so good that we decided we needed to experience breakfast there as well. A traditional French breakfast of pastries and coffee is actually a cost-effective way to do Balthazar. It's also a lot less crowded so a last-minute drop-in shouldn't be an issue.

Balthazar is in Soho at 80 Spring Street.

Photos: James Hannan

Knocking On Nobu Next Door

2009-07-20T18:17:00.001-07:00

It is possible to get into Nobu without a reservation, although I don't recommend it if you have your heart set on dining at this fashionable Japanese restaurant in Tribeca.

There was no way on earth that Nobu would have a spare table on any given night, so my traveling partner James Hannan recommended we go directly to Nobu Next Door, created originally to take in the overflow of Nobu but now a destination eatery in its own right.

From the outside Nobu Next Door presents as an unobtrusive door in a wall with a shy wall of windows. There is no branding to scream at you as you arrive in front. It would be easy to walk right by if you didn't know the pleasures awaiting inside.

Left: the exterior of Nobu Next Door

You haven't tasted quality Japanese cooking until you've eaten from the menu of masterchef and owner Nobu Matsuhisa. How I'll ever be able to eat ordinary tempura again is beyond me.

Our menu choices were: prawn tempura with the most extraordinary batter I've ever not tasted separately (the fusion of flavours is pure magic), beef skewers that literally melt in your mouth, soft shell crab and california rolls that were a delicious meal in themselves and the most delicate salmon sashimi. Even the miso soup was the best I've tasted. Talk about raising the bar forever more.

I'm officially a food snob when it comes to Japanese food because Nobu will now be the benchmark against which I compare the rest, and it will be tough for most to come anywhere near this.

I guess I'll just have to make regular trips back to New York in the future for my Japanese fix.

Interior photo: by Marina Go via Blackberry

The Buzz On Broadway

2009-07-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

I spent the day on Broadway as the business of my New York visit got underway. Although the day was full with essential meetings, there was time for a quick visit to a classic American delicatessen for lunch. I was delighted to find more options then I could get my stomach around at the recommended Jubilee, 447 Broadway and across the road from the office. On display and beautifully prepared was everything from sandwiches, salads and sushi to a buffet of hot delicacies. And to go with that was every juice and soft drink known to man. It's impossible not to find something wonderful to eat there.

At the end of our business day I decided to pick up a few pairs of Levi's for the boys back home as the $40 price-tag said bargain to me. The shop assistant at Rubber Sole, 740 Broadway, was horrified when I told her how much we pay for Levi's in Australia.

We have our eye on Nobu for dinner this evening, so I'll let you know how it goes (and if we manage to get in). There is little evidence of a recession in this city as the popular restaurants are still impossible to get into and stores are overflowing with shoppers, albeit in sale mode.

Our Qantas flight from Sydney was full in every class and our hotel is solidly booked too this week. The vibe is positive downtown so perhaps the New York recession was largely reserved for those residing uptown.

Photo: http://photos.cleveland.com

A Nation United Over Great Cooking

2009-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Left: Masterchef series one winner Julie (left) with runner-up Poh.

I followed the finale of Masterchef Australia via Twitter feeds to my Blackberry in New York. Twitter was going crazy with comments, criticism and outpourings of emotion.

A simple idea for a cooking show united the country, and those who had temporarily left, as we waited to see who would win the first series of Masterchef Australia.

It was a home-style cooking mum who got the gong, ahead of my favourite, Thai specialist Poh. Although there was disbelief from the Twitter crowd who appeared to mostly be backing Poh too, home cooking was the winner here in every way.

The number of people I have spoken to these past few months who have been trying out the dishes at home is remarkable. It literally became: if those cooking novices can do it, then so can I. Spectacular outcome.

Masterchef Australia was a success because it was so very well cast. Unlike the rival commercial networks, Channel Ten's hottest new show in a long while didn't cut from the obvious cloth. There didn't seem to have to be the blonde beach boy, the tall gorgeous model type, the dark and mysterious loner etc, etc that has become the cliche of Australian reality TV programs (Home Made was just one tired example of this). And when the contestants were chosen, there wasn't the temptation to style them up to within an inch of Vogue. We watched them slaving over hot stoves, perspiring with the best of them. It was real and we lapped up the contestants' highs and lows each week before ducking to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients for the paella we just learned how to make.

I loved that the judges weren't household names or over-exposed media darlings. The casting was honest, raw, believable. And inspired.

I have launched a couple of food magazines in my time and the reaction to Masterchef took me back to the flood of positive feedback I received following the launch of Australian Good Taste magazine for the Woolworths chain of supermarkets in 1996.

We too made it clear that restaurant-style cooking wasn't only for the elite. Like Masterchef, AGT made quality cooking accessible to all.

Bring on season two. Our dinner tables won't wait.

Photo: http://images.theage.com.au

A New York State Of Mind

2009-07-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

I arrived in New York last night and already I'm intoxicated. It'd been nine years between visits for me, reluctant as I was to drop in on my favourite city following the terror of 9/11, 2001.

A business trip has brought me back and thank god it did. I had almost forgotten what I'd been missing.

Within hours of disembarking the Qantas flight at John F Kennedy airport, I was dining out at Anthony Bourdain's celebrated eatery Les Halles, mid-town. I started with the roasted beetroot and goat's cheese, followed by a main of grilled tuna and vegetables and celebrated with the most glorious chocolate souffle ever created.

I started my Sunday with a visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) as I was dying to see the Model As Muse exhibition that I'd read about on Style.com. I was like a kid in a candy shop. I found the exhibit quite emotional as it brought back a tonne of memories of the glory days of fashion, fashion magazines and supermodels. It should be a must see for all fashion magazine editors, if only to understand the value of an iconic cover.

Lunch was at Cafe Gitane, Mott Street, Soho where I treated myself to the delights of Moroccan cous cous with roasted vegetables. And when in Soho, one is left with no choice but to shop.

The joy of New York in late July is the sheer pleasure of discovering designer shoes at up to 80 per cent off. Naturally I had to purchase five pairs. Why limit yourself when you can buy a pair for every working day for the usual price of one. A bargain.

I'm back in my room at The Bowery relaxing with a copy of The New York Times and its free insert magazine. Those lucky New Yorkers get to do this every day.

New York is as wonderful as I remembered it to be. The skyline is noticeably different from my last visit, but the New York spirit and energy is still here.

Photo: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com

Yes Sarah Palin Resigned. Does Anyone Really Care?

2009-07-11T01:59:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin made history in December 2006 at the age of 42, when she became the first female and youngest Governor in Alaskan history. The mother of five was poised to take female leadership to the next level.

Instead, Palin proved to be a disappointment to her gender after being propelled into the stratosphere of public debate as the hand-picked running mate of Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain during the 2008 US Presidential campaign.

Trading on her model looks and adopting the dizzy soccer mom 'everywoman' approach, she dumbed down her chances and women dumped her in horror.

Left: The Palin family in 2007

Her resignation from the governorship came as a surprise to some, but did she really have a choice? Her intellect ridiculed, her family life dissected and her ethics challenged, Palin slipped from 'Sarah the Barracuda' to a vulnerable mess within months of her first public interview as a Vice Presidential candidate.

Those who've stuck by her like that 'she's one of us'. The reality is that she was just an ordinary person trying to have a go, but most of us hope that those making key decisions about the way our respective countries run are instead extraordinary people, irrespective of gender.

I am all for women in positions of power but let's not choose the wrong woman just because we want it so bad. So while we're discussing gender for gender's sake, perhaps the Liberal party should rethink Julie Bishop who I'm convinced remains Deputy Opposition Leader just because she's a woman.

Image: http://www.jackbook.com
Palin family photo: http://gov.state.ak.us

Women With Time To Obsess About What To Wear

2009-07-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

A report on the UK Telegraph website claims that women spend near enough to a year of our lives deciding what to wear. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Who are these women?

According to the study, commissioned by clothing retailer Matalan, a large portion of that year can be attributed to "picking a killer ensemble for Friday or Saturday nights". Okay, well now it's evident to me that the 2,491 British women surveyed are largely single and childless because who else still goes out for a big Friday or Saturday night? And if you are in a relationship, especially marriage, and have children, then the "killer ensemble" is often a distant memory.

That doesn't mean that I don't dress up and attempt to look suitably glam. I haven't given up yet. It's just that it's relative these days. I no longer have to impress my husband, although bless him he still feigns surprise and enthusiasm, even when he's seen a frock on many occasions before (maybe that's why he's surprised - he's thinking I've stopped spending!)

At the age of 43, I know what works for me and my wardrobe is less of a surprise to anyone. I still have days when I should have been in the car on the way to work but instead find myself staring at my wardrobe as though there's nothing in it. But that doesn't happen as often as it did when I was in my twenties and experimenting with every fashion trend known to woman.

"The study - which was based on an adult lifetime from the age of 16 to 60 - found most women will spend around 20 minutes deciding what to wear before hitting the town on a week night," the Telegraph reported.

You see there it is again - hitting the town on weeknights. How many women with children really go out on a school night unless it's for a business dinner (and then the dress code is relatively prescriptive and excludes the term "killer')?

I wish I had a year of my life in extra time to spend staring at my wardrobe. I'm afraid that mine has less than five minutes to speak to me most mornings and if for some reason it doesn't cooperate, I stick with trusty black everything.

The fact that black is the most purchased colour in the fashion world tells me that this survey cannot possibly be indicative of most real women. Am I wrong?

Photo: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Culture Vultures

2009-07-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Left: Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat

Dana, a blogger from Kazakhstan, recently commented on my blog about Bruno. I was excited that Sacha Baron Cohen had made another 'send-up' style movie in the vein of Borat. Dana clearly wasn't.

"I have my reasons to dislike Cohen. He made fun of the country that I live in. And that does hurt me," she wrote.

"Hope that after release of Bruno world finally forgets about Borat =)) Maybe :)"

Does that make you feel as uncomfortable as it made me about our Borat appreciation? The thing about comedy is that there are winners and losers. It's easy to find a routine funny if someone else is the butt of the joke.

Which brings me to The Flight Of The Conchords, a television comedy series that follows the adventures of a two-man novelty band from New Zealand (called The Flight Of the Conchords), as its members seek fame and success in New York. Currently showing on the ABC, it portrays a fictionalised version of the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.

Jemaine and Bret send up Australians in the way that Borat made fun of blogger Dana's home country. And I have to admit that as I watch it it does make me squirm - not because the references are too close for comfort but because, like Dana and her beloved Kazakhstan, we know that they're way off the mark (mostly).

In this week's episode Jemaine dated an Australian, much to the horror of his band mate and manager. They were concerned he might catch something from 'the Australian' and continually urged him to dump her. The Australian was a fairly attractive blonde girl who had a living room littered with rubbish and made tea with milk using leftovers from that morning's breakfast. She also announced that she needed to "murder a brown snake" as she headed to the bathroom at the pub. While dating 'the Australian' Jemaine was transformed into a khaki-wearing (think Steve Irwin) yes man.

I can laugh along with the best of them and often do. But then the joke is rarely on us. We happily make fun of the Kiwis, Americans, Scottish, in fact anyone we can. And we are open to laughing at ourselves as long as we're pointing the fingers, as in Kath & Kim and The Chaser. But can we really be comfortable with a couple of New Zealanders laughing at us, to an American audience?

The show is a huge hit in the US and has been nominated for an Emmy. And that means sooner or later some Americans will be of the belief that Australians and New Zealanders are vastly different, that we are social pariahs and that they have the preferred accent. Yes, really.

We'll know we've reached that tipping point when 'Australians' like Russell Crowe begin promoting their Kiwi heritage. It could happen.

Photo: http://h2dj.com

Why Rupert Murdoch Has To Be Admired

2009-07-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

Above: News International CEO Rebekah Wade

You've got to hand it to Rupert Murdoch. Regardless of gender, race, religion or age, he's renowned for choosing the best person for the top job. And his most recent appointment appears just as insightful.

Former Editor of The Sun Rebekah Wade's promotion to the Chief Executive role at News International last month is cause for celebration, and not just because she's a woman in an industry primarily dominated by male executives. Murdoch clearly spotted something in the talented Editor that caused him to believe she could run the company, directly from the helm of a single newspaper. Not without her detractors, Wade has been described as "fiesty", "dazzling" and "publicity-shy". But no one has attacked her talent, at least not publicly.

It's an exciting time for the media industry as the woman who famously spearheaded Sarah's Law, while Editor of News Of The World in July 2000, moves to a position where she could seriously impact the future of journalism. Sarah's Law was a campaign to create a sex offenders register in the UK, in response to the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne.

Like Murdoch's Australian CEO and Chairman John Hartigan, Wade is a journalist to the core. And like anyone with ink in their veins (I don't know what the cyberspace equivalent would be), she will continue to put customers at the forefront of decision-making. Her campaigning for consumers' rights via the newspapers she has edited proves she knows exactly who the customer is and how to convert them from occasional to committed.

Wade recently gave a public address about the importance of good journalism in today's media climate.

"The death knell is already ringing for publishers who have forgotten our reason for being," she said in her address. "Cost-cutting in this business only works if the savings are reinvested in journalism."

Journalists (and women) globally are punching the air.

Photo:http://www.bbc.co.uk

I HEART Sleep

2009-07-03T02:19:00.000-07:00

A report in The Daily Telegraph today reveals that women who sleep fewer than eight hours a day are more likely to suffer heart disease.

The same cannot be said about men who apparently show little correlation between their sleeping habits and their heart. That won't come as a surprise to some women.

This is not the news that I needed to hear. My grandmother died of heart disease at the youthful age of 59 and I rarely get more than six hours of sleep a night. I should be walking around with 'Prime Candidate' stamped on my forehead.

It's been that way since I became a mother nearly 16 years ago. I am naturally a night owl and that hasn't really changed. But now I'm forced out of my warm and comfy bed before the sun comes up (depending on the season, but certainly in winter), to make school lunches, organise breakfast and perform the working woman's 'quicky tidy-up' dance before rushing out of the house at 7.45am to drop the boys at school on my way to work. At some point in between I need to shower and dress. Make-up these days is on the go (applied in the car, at the red lights).

I'm not complaining. It's what I do. But I would like a bit more sleep.

At the other end of the day, when I should be turning in early, I become caught up with the daily administrative needs of my coffee shop, my desire to update at least one of my two blogs, washing and ironing of my boys' school uniforms and late night communication about the website I publish, primped. That's after I make dinner for the boys, help them with homework, bake cookies (ridiculous, I know) and give each of my sons quality time to discuss the days' events. And that's before I set aside time for my favourite TV shows, websites and Twitter updates of people I'm following (on Twitter only, I'm otherwise not a stalker). I still like to read The Australian and Daily Telegraph newspapers thoroughly at the end of the day, having only scanned them for quick insights over breakfast that morning. As well, I like to ease myself into bed with a few chapters of a good book. Not much time for sleep. (Lucky my husband works nights too.)

I want to sleep for eight hours a night, honestly I do. But until we can figure out a way to make the days longer, I just can't see how I'm going to find the time. Am I alone in this?

Photo: http://www.koffee.com.au

Australian Netball Diamonds 2009 Schedule

2009-07-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Left: The Australian Diamonds in action

Holden Netball Test Series (Australian Series)

Diamonds v World Selection
Wednesday September 2, ETSA Park Adelaide

Diamonds v Silver Ferns
Sunday September 6, Acer Arena Sydney

Wednesday September 9, Hisense Arena Melbourne

Sunday September 13, BCEC Brisbane

New World International Netball Series (NZ Series)

Diamonds v Silver Ferns

Sunday September 20, Stadium Southland, Invercargill
Wednesday September 23, Vector Arena, Auckland

World Netball Series

9-11 October, Manchester

England Series

Diamonds v England
Tuesday October 13, Bath

Jamaica Series
Diamonds v Sunshine Girls

Saturday October 17, Kingston

Sunday October 18, Kingston

Photo: http://www.abc.net.au

The Daily Show On The Burqa Ban

2009-07-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Burka Ban

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Jason Jones in Iran

The Daily Show taps into the controversy surrounding French President Nicolas Sarkozy's public rejection of the burqa. This is a must-see.

Why Does George Clooney Make Me Feel Guilty?

2009-07-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

Left: I just wanted a reason to publish an image of George Clooney. Too obvious?

I was flicking through a book in Borders the other day while my husband was paying for his reading selection at the counter. I quickly closed the book featuring the work of a celebrity photographer as he returned to my side.

"What were you looking at?" he enquired, as I hastily tried to cover that book with another.

"Nothing, just flicking," I replied as I could feel my face suddenly warm.

I'd been staring at an image of George Clooney, the actor of my dreams. My husband knows that I have a thing for George. I know that he knows and yet I always deny it. A bit like my shoe purchases.

It's not like I'm cheating so why do I feel so guilty whenever he catches me swooning?

My husband will happily point out an attractive woman in the street, he will stare at a supermodel in my presence guilt-free and he had no qualms in telling me how he had more than a little crush on Farrah Fawcett after sighting that infamous swimsuit shot.

He doesn't feel guilty, so why do I? It's also not like I'm ever going to be in a position to cheat with George. And yet I am at a loss to explain the increased heart rate, the little smile that I get when I see his image or my passion for all of his films, even the dodgy ones. I convince myself the weekly women's magazines are publishing falsehoods when there is a negative George story. I will argue with anyone who suggests that he's gay. Hell, I even raced out and bought a Nespresso machine when he became the brand's spokesperson. I know it's pathetic, but George Clooney makes me a weaker person.

And because of all of that I feel guilty just looking at his photo, especially when my husband is near. (Slightly less guilty when he isn't around - I wonder what that says?)

Apparently it's gender-related like everything else. According to a study, published recently in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, men feel guilty when they actually cheat and women feel guiltiest about emotional infidelity.

So I'd be feeling less guilty if I was actually sleeping with George...according to the results. We are definitely the more interesting sex.

Photo: http://www.celebrity-exchange.com

Splitting The Spoils After Divorce

2009-07-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Above: German heiress Katrin Radmacher

Wealthy people in pre-nuptial prone countries punched the air today when a British court ruled in favour of a German heiress retaining her family fortune post divorce.

The couple had signed a pre-nuptial agreement waiving husband Nicolas Granatino's claim to share the spoils of the Radmacher family fortune in the event of a split. But when the hypothetical happened he went back on his promise and put his hand up for a cut. Granatino was originally awarded 5.8 million pounds until the court over-ruled that decision today.

The point of a pre-nup is to protect those with money from being fleeced by those who don't. So help me out here: why exactly are rich people walking down the aisle with people they think are capable of that?

It doesn't matter to me that it's a woman who has won. It would be hypocritical to be excited that a woman has won out against her gold digger (less well-off women have to bear that tag, so why not a man?). Shouldn't a person's vulnerability be taken into account when the spoils are looking to be split? Radmacher's one-time investment banker husband now works as a modestly paid researcher. He has been described as 'destitute'.

So while Radmacher celebrates her victory, I am caused to wonder if the decision is fair. Should the poorer partner go back to being poor just because they lacked wealth to begin with? Wouldn't the new whole be greater than the sum of the original parts? To cut him loose with zip means that his contribution to their marriage was valued at nothing.

Think about it. If a woman marries a wealthy man and spends her life making his life comfortable, happy and secure, should she too have to walk away with nothing if the marriage ends just because she was penniless to begin with?

What do you think?

Photo: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

How To Make Tortilla Soup

2009-07-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Tortilla soup recipe

I discovered Tortilla Coup a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to get excited by any other food. Much like the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld (minus the Soup Nazi), when my regular refueling station, Wheels and Cupcake at Alexandria, puts on Tortilla Soup people line up in anticipation.

As a relative newcomer to the Mexican favourite, I look forward to receiving emails from in-the-know staffers about when its expected to feature on the day's specials. Tortilla Soup isn't a fixture on the standard menu.

When it's on, the rumblings take hold from midday with a rush to get down to the cafe before the soup runs out. On the day I received my first email about this sensation in a cup, I joined the rush lest I too miss out on something I'd never even tasted. I spent the next few weeks hoping each day for that email proclaiming Tortilla Soup was back on the menu.

My patience was rewarded today. And it was just as good the second time round.

Tortilla Soup now sits at the top of my favourites list.

A recipe for Tortilla Soup can be found at elise.com.

Me & My Crackberry

2009-07-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

Left: Model performing the Blackberry clutch

Blackberry Addiction - Click here for this week’s top video clips

Is it possible that I may be addicted to my Blackberry?

An addiction is an affliction of other people. Or so I liked to believe until a Saturday sans my digital best friend. I'd set off for the boys' Saturday sports games with my handbag crammed full of all the usual essential items and hadn't noticed that my Blackberry had fallen out onto the sofa as I grabbed a jacket from the closet. As my husband drove, and the boys were plugged into their ipods, I thought it an opportune time to check for emails (as you do). To my absolute horror, I couldn't find my first technological love. I almost tore my handbag apart as I checked every conceivable zip and cranny.

My husband looked on in amusement as I became desperate. "We'll only be a couple of hours," he said. "What's so important?"

Nothing was so important, other than finding my beloved Blackberry. So he talked me through it: Was I expecting an urgent message from someone important? "No." Did I have a message that was critical to send that morning? "Well, no." Would the world end if I forgot about my Blackberry for a morning? "Maybe not...but what if it's not at home and I've lost it?"

Various experts, more knowledgeable than me, have written about the dangers of technology addiction (although I have blogged about it, in reference to my teenage son). The Daily Mail warned digital devotees about the perils of becoming too attached back in 2006.

The article reported that a study carried out by New Jersey's Rutgers University School claimed the Blackberry was "fuelling a rise in email and internet addiction, with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail".

"One key sign of a user being addicted is if they focus on their Blackberry ignoring those around them." If I'd taken note then, I never would have allowed myself to clutch it without question.

The first stage of beating an addiction is to acknowledge that you have a problem. So I'm on the path.

But could I survive without my Blackberry in an age where I am defined by a Twitter account, Facebook page and various blog interests? I honestly don't think I could...unless I swapped it for the new Apple iphone 3GS, in lipstick red. Yes I could probably do that.

Photo:
http://www.nowcomms.co.uk
iphone image: http://www.todaygadgets.com

Where Are They Now?

2009-07-01T02:10:00.000-07:00

When this story of the Cosmopolitan team, circa 1990s, was published in the magazine during Pat Ingram's reign as Editor, few would have realised the glorious career she would go on to enjoy as the queen bee of ACP during the coming decades.

Some of the Cosmo girls moved on to greener pastures not long after the photos had dried, such as Deputy Editor Tracy Cox who is now a leading sex expert in the UK and Fashion Editor Terry Kaljo (better known as Schwamberg) who owns a string of glam hotels and other business interests. Smart women. Others in Ingram's original magazine posse progressed to senior roles within her portfolio. Best friend Catherine Marshall was given her own magazine to edit but was recently named by The Daily Telegraph's Annette Sharp as being on shaky ground since Ingram 'left the building'.

After an illustrious career running all manner of important women's magazines, I find it unusual that Ingram wasn't given a glamorous farewell party to send her on her way.

I'm staying tuned to Girl With A Satchel because Editor Erica Bartle usually has the ear on these things. That is if Sunday Telegraph columnist Ros Reines doesn't get there first.

Why Mum & Dad Investors Are Finding It Hard To Get Back On The Horse

2009-06-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

Above: Bernie Madoff - facing 150 years of incarceration for the largest white collar crime in US history

No wonder investors are still treating the markets like a cheating partner. The man sentenced to 150 years' jail for masterminding America's largest white collar crime, was able to con some of the most sophisticated investors in one of the most progressive markets in the world. What hope is there that the rest of us could avoid falling victim to such a scam?

We are drawn to the thrill of legal gambling via the sharemarket, and yet know that it could end in tears. The market could easily break our heart again and destroy a dream. Our relationship with this form of investment is love-hate. We love it when we're winning and hate it when we're not.

But unlike the highs of a couple of years ago, when mum and dad investors were confident of making a good return on the share market while more sophisticated investors were backing hedge funds that could ride them into certain fortune, the antics of Bernie Madoff and co (how on earth could he have acted alone in this?) have frightened the confidence out of investors worldwide.

Even the fact that no one else has been convicted for a crime that wiped US$145 million from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Foundation and was able to pull the wool over Steven Spielberg's Wunderkind Foundation, says there are missing checks and balances in a system that is already inherently risky. How can we trust that this won't happen to any one of us? It's that lack of market confidence, combined with the fact that real investors have actually lost serious pots of money from the share market slides of 08/09, that is keeping the market at sluggish levels. I know I'm guilty of not wanting to risk any more of my hard-earned money-in-the-bank.

When a large-scale scam is made public, the first reaction is to take your money out of the market and hide it under your bed, just like grandma used to do. Or is that just me?

Photo: http://www.thedailybeast.com

Bring On Bruno!

2009-06-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

Left: Gay, Austrian, fashion reporter Bruno

the Bruno movie Trailer
by truman_show85

The Bruno movie premieres this week and the world is as nervous as hell.

Sacha Baron Cohen's previous characterisation of Borat Sagdiyev, a fictitious Kazakh journalist traveling through the United States, recording real-life interactions with Americans, gave us reasons to laugh at racists, anti-semites and homophobes. We were also caught laughing with them, albeit with equal parts horror (so maybe it was more of a nervous laugh).

It is feared that Bruno will roll back any gains made by the gay community in recent decades when the movie premieres on Thursday. According to a report on Double X, there will be some brutal scenes: "as when Bruno goes to a martial arts instructor to learn how to protect himself from gay people. 'If they get close to you, hit them,' the teacher says. How can you spot a gay man? 'Obvious is a person being extremely nice' is the answer. Gays can be tricky, the instructor warns: 'Some of them don’t even dress no different than myself or you.'"

Bruno is certain to be direct and he will make us squirm in our cinema seats, but that is what we're signing on for when we buy a ticket to see a Baron Cohen film. We'd be disappointed if he didn't force us to think about our own prejudices by unearthing them in others.

After seeing him on Rove tonight, I can't wait.

Photo: http://www.harpersbazaar.com

Delivering 'September' in March

2009-06-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been responsible for editing the September issue of a fashion magazine, you may not appreciate the work that goes into producing the 'perfect' magazine: one that delivers on the expectations of its many, many advertisers (which is why it's so thick), but also engages the reader so she'll be left wanting more.

The documentary The September Issue, on the making of the September 2007 issue of US Vogue, will be compelling viewing for any fashion magazine lover (former and current). If you adored The Devil Wears Prada as I did, you'll be keen to see Anna Wintour playing herself.

As Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Australia in the late nineties, my 'September' issue was cover dated March. That was the issue back then that was brimming with fashion and beauty advertisers. The one in 12 that was essential to nail.

It was always a stressful time as fashion editors created work designed to impress the industry and their peers at the start of a new season, while I was left to work out how to 'sell' those images to consumers. It was a tug-of-war, borne out of a shared love of fashion.

Although I no longer edit a fashion magazine, I retain a passion for a well-edited edition and as I've proclaimed on many occasions, no one executes better than Anna Wintour. There have been many documentaries on magazine editors over the years, including quite a good one on the former Editor of UK Marie Claire Glenda Bailey, but I'm waging that none of it compares to witnessing Wintour in action.

I wasn't fortunate enough to be among the crowd invited to see The September Issue when it was screened at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this month. So for a review you will need to check out Last Night With Riviera.

The movie is due to be shown here later this year - September perhaps?

Facing The Force Of Iranian Women

2009-06-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Above: In a part of the Muslim world where women are often perceived as repressed, images of Iranian women during and after the June 12 elections have catapulted Iran's female demonstrators to the forefront of the country's opposition movement.

Her name is the Persian word for 'voice' and her death has become the symbol of Iranian equal rights protest. She has also helped open the western world's eyes to the plight and strength of Iranian women.

Neda Agha-Soltan's death was captured on video by bystanders and posted around the world via the internet. Videos of her death and the violence in the streets of Iran are on Youtube for the world to see. #Neda is one of the hottest discussion topics on Twitter. Messages of outrage have been shared on Facebook in every part of the world.

Many western media commentators have expressed surprise that Iranian women have shown bravery by joining the protest against a regime that has afforded women no rights at all since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. But then what do we really know about a people whose government has controlled news and images coming out of that country for the past 30 years.

That's why the images afforded to the world by the developments in social media technology are so potent. A woman in a silk headscarf perfectly made up, with lash thickening and lengthening mascara, red lips and matching nail polish, holding up a 'Where's My Vote?' card is not what we expect to see among the faces in the crowd. Images like that have caught the imagination and sympathy of our western sensibilities, and also come to challenge the way the world views the plight of Iranian women. According to Salon.com, Iranian women have long been at the heart of the fight for equality, it's only the western world who didn't know that.

"Women have been extremely politically active in the country for quite some time now, and many Iranians are amused, quite frankly, at the West's sudden revelation that neither chadors nor head scarves snuff out the fire in women's bellies," reports Salon writer Tracy Clark-Flory. "Women were essential political organisers as far back as the 1905 Constitutional Revolution; they also fought and died alongside men in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which might not have happened without their help."

"This isn't new. This is only the first time that you've been aware of it," Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia University, tells Salon.

So let's not get sidetracked by the appearance of Iranian women. Whether donning the requisite chador or taking a risk with a flimsier non-regulation silk scarf and sunglasses, Iranian women have not allowed their dress to oppress them. We too should refrain from making those assumptions and remain focused on their continued struggle for the basic human rights that we often take for granted in our part of the world.

According to a report on msnbc, there is an extra layer of resentment and anger among many of Iran's 35 million women: "Many fear that a second term for a man who was first elected in 2005 in part on a platform of restoring 'Islamic values' will only prove to be worse than the first".

"The root of the current unrest is the people's dissatisfaction and frustration at their plight going back before the election," Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi was reported to have said on msnbc. "Because women are the most dissatisfied people in society, that is why their presence is more prominent."

Photo: http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Michael Jackson, Style Icon - Fashion News - WWD.com

2009-06-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson, Style Icon - Fashion News - WWD.com

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Sad Day For The Seventies Child

2009-06-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Above: How I choose to remember Farrah Fawcett (far left)
Below: The Michael Jackson we should never forget

Two of the world's biggest icons of the late seventies/early eighties died today. And although I wasn't a devoted fan of either at their end, both helped shape me, entertain me, captivate me, wallpaper my bedroom walls during my teenage years.

Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album is one of the few things I recall about my first high-school disco (not because there was alcohol involved, but because I'm now 43 with two children and a shot memory). I was never a moonwalker (unlike one of my male friends who could slide along backwards with the best of them), but I could never just sit and listen when a Jackson song was played. As he grew weirder and stopped making music, I chose to tune out. Michael Jackson was 50 when he died of an apparent heart attack just weeks before he was due to play sell-out concerts across the UK.

I was a fan of Charlie's Angels during my formative years. Rather than objectify women, I viewed the program as one of the first to give women a sense of power. Although there was always Charlie lurking in the background, assigning their orders, it was Farrah and co who were the heroes at the end of each episode. And that's how I'll always remember Farrah Fawcett. Her impact on the beauty industry also packed a punch as hers was the most copied hairstyle of the eighties. Even I sported 'Farrah Fawcett flicks' as a teenager. The long-term love of actor Ryan O'Neal finally succumbed to anal cancer on Thursday, following a long, tough battle.

We will remember them.

Charlie's Angels image: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Michael Jackson album cover: http://upload.wikimedia.org

The King of Pop Has Died - The Daily Beast

2009-06-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after going into cardiac arrest and reportedly died this afternoon, according to an initial report by gossip site TMZ. Jackson had been rehearsing in LA for his highly-anticipated series of concerts in

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Farewell Farrah - The Daily Beast

2009-06-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

Farewell Farrah - The Daily Beast

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The Sincerest Form Of Flattery?

2009-06-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

Guess Who?

There is a blogger in Australia who I've long suspected of being short of an original idea. I've been checking her blog sporadically across the past three months and found that she almost always blogs about the same subject as me, up to a day later. Not only that, but her view on a news topic is curiously exactly the same as mine.

She is a high-profile blogger with lots of followers. So very few people will know this as they haven't read my blog first, or even as well.

Should I feel flattered or flush her out?

Photo: http://marketingshebang.files.wordpress.com

Liberation Or Legislation?

2009-06-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

Left: Women wearing burqas

Left: French President Nicolas Sarkozy with his wife Carla Bruni

Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to denounce the burqa is an extraordinary step by any leader.

According to a report in The Telegraph the traditional Islamic garb for women may eventually be banned from France.

"The burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience," the French President told members of both parliamentary houses gathered for his speech at the Palace of Versailles on Monday.

While I understand that through Western eyes, the burqa is a symbol of female oppression, something I'm dead against on any level, there is also the argument for freedom of expression.

It's dangerous to dictate to a woman what she can and cannot wear. I've avoided traveling to many middle eastern countries, for example, because I refuse to be told that I need to cover myself from top-to-toe in public. You can't take a personal stand against being told how to dress and then believe that it's okay to patronise other cultures with your sartorial view. Smacks of hypocrisy.

In a follow-up report in The Telegraph, Muslim leaders have shared their outrage for Sarkozy's comments.

Dr Reefat Drabu, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), said in a statement: "It is patronising and offensive to suggest that those Muslim women who wear the burqa do so because of pressure or oppression by their male partners or guardians."

I was in Dubai a few years ago and got my first in-the-flesh sighting of burqas en masse. Rather than being confronting, it was actually quite spectacular, but then Dubai is a country of excessive wealth and cultural extremes.

Dubai is hot all year round and as there are no restrictions on what a woman can wear, I found myself wearing a skimpy sundress, bare legs and sandals, standing beside a group of women in black burqas at a set of pedestrian crossing lights. I couldn't see their faces, but as they crossed the road I got a glimpse of the best collection of Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks that any group of girlfriends could hope to own. And dangling just above those shoes were exquisite golden anklets. They were each clutching the latest of latest IT bags: Gucci, Vuitton, Prada. The women looked stunning, chatty and upbeat, even though I couldn't see their faces.

Later that same day I was in a department store inside The Mall of The Emirates (one of Dubai's famous mega-malls). The fashion and beauty departments were full of women in burqas, trying on expensive, glamorous shoes and buying up big at the Mac make-up counter. They looked about as un-oppressed as a woman buying shoes and lipstick can possibly be.

The enforced wearing of the burqa is what I'm dead against, just as I don't believe it's liberating to tell a woman she can't wear it. Rather than banning the burqa, Sarkozy should be advocating banning the enforced wearing of the burqa as a progressive step forward. At this moment in time, after generations of burqa-wearing women, some actually prefer to wear it. It's what they know. It's their comfort zone. Let's not force an alternative set of opinions on those women just because we don't like it.

Burqa photo: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk

Sarkozy & Bruni photo: http://www.dabagirls.com

Created By Neanderthals or PR Geniuses?

2009-06-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

The campaign below was created by McCann Digital, Israel according to Copyranter.
The target market: women
Yes, really.

In what surely must be one of the worst examples of smart-ass advertising types turning an in-joke into a client-funded campaign, Israeli ad agency McCann Digital launched the Get An Ugly Girlfriend campaign to promote Bacardi Breezers to women.

If I hadn't been alerted to the article on Jezebel by a similarly surprised friend, I could easily have been convinced that this was a Chaser stunt.

If so, we could have had a laugh and moved on. But no, on closer inspection, it appears the campaign may be for real. I would have linked you directly there but there has been such an outrage over the campaign that the Get An Ugly Girlfriend promotional site has already been taken down.

The premise of the campaign - aimed at women - is that in order to look hot at the beach, shops, etc all you need is an ugly friend to make you look hotter by association. Yes, that's right, they were expecting women to embrace the idea and the fruity alcoholic beverage as well.

It supports my theory that it is possible to believe in yourself too much, as the misguided gang at McCann Digital in Israel have clearly demonstrated here.

Their theory I suspect is that there's no such thing as bad publicity. And I've just helped contribute to that too.

Shame on me.

Image:http://jezebel.com

Parents Magazine and the fuss about parenthood: newyorker.com

2009-06-22T18:32:00.001-07:00

Parents Magazine and the fuss about parenthood: newyorker.com

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Dolce & Gabbana To Down-Price!

2009-06-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

Left: Italy's Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce

If retailers' bottomed-out share prices, reduced profit forecasts and consumer confidence surveys haven't alerted you to the fact that the global economic crisis has impacted the fashion industry in a major way, then the news that Dolce and Gabbana is planning to cut its prices should take you there.

Italy's fashion darling duo are renowned for their many quests to 'revolutionise' fashion. Never backward with their views, they recently criticised the ridiculousness of shipment schedules that have resulted in wools in stock in summer months.

According to WWD, the international designer brand has turned its attention to the real crisis at hand and plans to cut prices by as much as 20 per cent. The pair claim they can maintain quality at the lower prices. But rather than take the margin hit themselves, they're calling on all suppliers, from fabric to zip-makers, to trim their prices.

“The first thing people say these days when they walk into a store is, ‘Nice, but how much?’” noted Gabbana on WWD.

“In this moment of uncertainty, people spend more willingly on travel or spas rather than on a new dress. We want to work for the final consumer.”

WWD notes evidence of the lower prices as:

1. A pair of five-pocket jeans for spring will sell for $450 (for spring 2009 they cost $695)

2. A dress will cost $1,469, down from $2,295

3. A leather bomber jacket will be priced at $1,499, compared with $2,296

4. An iconic stretch silk tulle corset dress will go to $3,589 from last year’s $5,200.

An inspired act certain to maximise a fashionista's emotional connection to the D&G brand. It also makes them look like clever business people who can survive a crisis.

I'm buying in (literally).

Photo: http://www.saidaonline.com

The Reality Of A Relationship Ruined

2009-06-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Left: Jodi Gordon with former boyfriend Ryan Stokes.

I was bemused to read on news.com.au today that Jodi Gordon's father Ray wants to wring Ryan Stokes' neck for running out on his daughter.

He attacked Ryan's "privileged" upbringing and suggested there was a "story" he might be willing to tell.

"He's lived in a bubble all of his life. That's why daddy sent him overseas," he said.

"It's not all about Jodi. This is bull****. My baby girl has done nothing wrong. If you want to talk, we'll sit down and have a talk and ... I'll give you the best story in the world if you want it."

You can't blame a father for wanting to protect his child. That's what parents do. However, it certainly smacks of naivety. Did he honestly believe that the Home & Away star's relationship with the son of a media mogul could withstand such a public humiliation?

Let's not forget that Jodi was the one allegedly found cowering in another man's bedroom following a cocaine bender. The fact that he apparently has bikie connections is almost irrelevant.

Yes Ryan has grown up with privilege, but they knew that when Jodi started dating him. Why be bitter about it now?

I'm no fan of Kerry's son, but he certainly can't be blamed for ending this relationship. If Ryan was my son, I would have encouraged him to dump Jodi too.

The best thing the Gordons can do now is accept that this relationship has slipped through their fingers and move on. For Jodi's sake.

Photo: http://image.thehothits.com

The Case For Going Green

2009-06-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

We drink it to lose weight, detox and keep warm. It now appears that green tea's many lifestyle benefits may extend to preventing serious health risks.

A new study has found that drinking green tea can help slow the progression of prostrate cancer.

According to BBC News, green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

My dad had a prostrate cancer scare last year. The indicators for cancer in a routine age-related blood-test were responsible for the scare of his life. The doctor suggested it was either dehydration or prostrate cancer. He suggested dad spend the next few weeks drinking a lot of water before a second test. Thankfully the second test was negative, but he had downed so much H2O that his white blood cell count was low as a result.

Dad has long been a firm believer in the medicinal value of green tea. I was "encouraged" to drink it as a teenager at a time when it was relatively uncool to do so. Now that green is the tea du jour, sales of green tea globally have been in steady growth since the early 90s.

In the study, published in the US journal Cancer Prevention Research, Philadelphia-based researchers tested a compound called Polyphenon E, an extract found in green tea.

Dr James Cardelli, from the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, who led the study, said the compound "may have the potential to lower the incidence and slow the progression of prostate cancer."

"There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression."

Wikipedia defines green tea as "a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing".

Photo: http://blackchristiannews.com

Children & Work: A Strange Mix

2009-06-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Above: Senator Sarah Hanson-Young with daughter Kora

The furore over the ejection of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's two-year-old daughter from the Senate chamber is opportunistic attention grabbing at its best.

Senator Bob Brown is a master at positioning himself at the centre of anything deemed politically correct.

His assertion that Hanson-Young's child should have been allowed to remain sitting on her knee in the Chamber while a vote was taken will certainly endear him to most mothers, especially those with young children who work.

However, let's be reasonable and realistic about this. No mother can put her hand on her heart and claim that a child in the workplace wouldn't be a major distraction. I used to love going to work for a break when my children were toddlers. They demand your attention 24/7.

So although this may not be a popular position with other mothers, I think it was highly appropriate for Senate President John Hogg to take a stand.

Photo: http://www.news.com.au

Art Gatecrashes Real Life

2009-06-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Left: Kate Walsh of Seven's Private Practice

One of the storylines in tomorrow night's episode of Private Practice centres on a sexually active 12-year-old girl. Given one of the biggest news stories of the week, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Channel Seven has cynically coincided that episode for maximum impact.

But no. The TV Guide was printed before the horror of a real-life 12-year-old girl's pregnant reality came to light.

However, as the result of its coincidental storyline it should be essential viewing. How will this group of doctors cope with the medical issues surrounding a sexually active tween (pre-teen)? What advice will they give to the child's mother?

I'm a self-confessed Private Practice addict regardless of topical storylines, but only because I want to be Addison Montgomery. Apart from any of her other fabulous qualities, what a great name.

Photo: http://a.abc.com

How Iran's Hackers Killed Big Brother - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

2009-06-16T15:13:00.001-07:00

How Iran's Hackers Killed Big Brother - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

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Can Katie Holmes Dance? - The Daily Beast

2009-06-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

The quiet Mrs. Tom Cruise may be finally coming out of her shell: Katie Holmes is reportedly filming So You Think You Can Dance, the high-intensity celebrity dance competition. And it’s been a long-time coming: she’s apparently rehearsed long and hard for

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The CFDA winners 2009 (Vogue.com UK)

2009-06-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

The CFDA winners 2009 (Vogue.com UK)

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Absurd Marketing Aimed At Women

2009-06-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Comedian Sarah Haskins has become America's most wanted online as the result of her hilarious send-ups of the way in which women are marketed to.

The three videos in this blog are examples of some of her work on Current TV's Infomania.

She pokes fun at the stereotyping of women and female-skewed blogsites such as Jezebel have become big fans.

Haskins skewers the Stepford Wife approach to marketing to women that seems to prevail, particularly in the US.

“Yogurt eaters come from every race, but just one socio-economic class: the class that wears gray hoodies. It’s the ‘I have a master's but then I got married’ look," Haskins told The Daily Beast.

“Women can go outside the home and hearth, and work and get a job,” says Haskins. “Instead of acknowledging the complexity of that choice, marketers are asking you to be the perfect woman: to keep the house neat and clean and be the perfect wife and be thin.”

Cast your mind to some of the commercials on our TV screens and you'll notice that it's the perfectly groomed woman who is usually cooking up a storm for a grateful family. Haskins' humour resonates here too.

Enjoy!

The Skinny On Fashion Now

2009-06-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

Left: British Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman

It's only been a day but already British Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman's lambasting of designers for their teeny sample sizes has become the stuff of legend.

Shulman is angry that the samples are getting smaller, forcing magazines to use painfully thin models in their fashion magazines as only the skinniest (and small children) can fit into the clothes.

Every woman and her fashion editor has already had her say on this topic. Of course we all agree. Apart from it being politically incorrect not to, the Editor of one of the world's leading fashion magazines is actually right.

I recall the embarrassment caused by too-small designer samples on a fashion shoot a year ago. My then Fashion Editor had called in the latest designs from some of Europe's leading brands: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada. She was dressing a former Givenchy clotheshorse, who by any woman's standards is considered thin.

Most of the samples provided did not fit so the fashion editor was forced to shoot from an angle that did not show an unzipped zipper or open button. It was highly embarrassing for her.

Sample sizes provided by the world's most coveted fashion brands only fit the near-malnourished. No curves allowed. That's why Shulman's call for larger sample sizes was met with rejoicing from much of the fashion community and those groups fighting against anorexia.

Blogger and fashion commentator Melissa Hoyer explains that fashion has always been full of the unreal. She cites the launch of Country Road's new 40-plus collection Trenery, where models far younger than 40 were used to model the range, as yet another example of fashion houses not practising what they preach.

The changes required to move the fashion industry into the 21st century with the rest of us will only be taken seriously when powerhouses like British Vogue get in on the act. That's why we have cared so much about Alexandra Shulman's letter to designers this week.

We (and those poor under-fed models) may yet be able to breath out.

Photo: http://www.sussex.ac.uk