Monthly Archives: April 2009

Anzac Day – Lest We Forget

Posted on April 25, 2009
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Poppies

Anzac Day, a public holiday in Australia and New Zealand, commemorates the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 of the two countries’ fighting men, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, during World War I.

This was the war that was impossible to win and marked the end of Australia’s age of innocence as Australians and New Zealanders alike witnessed and heard reports of the distant booming guns and the cries of the dying.

All in all, in the Gallipoli Campaign which ultimately ended in defeat, more than 8700 Australians and between 2400 and 2721 New Zealanders were killed. In relation to the two countries’ population at the time, this was a massive loss of lives — a sacrifice remembered deeply on Anzac Day.

The first official dawn service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. Dawn services were originally very simple and followed the operational ritual; in many cases they were restricted to veterans only. The daytime ceremony was for families and other well-wishers and the dawn service was for returned soldiers to remember and reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a special bond.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

…

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4 Ingredients – magnificent cookery!

Posted on April 19, 2009
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A new book simply called 4 Ingredients is taking the world by storm. Initially launched in Australia it has become a huge seller and it has now crossed continents to become a hit in the UK.

With over 1 million copies sold worldwide, the book is fast becoming a phenomenon. The biggest selling point with this is the ease it makes preparing a meal. You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to put a meal on the table and as you will find out with the book, you’ll wonder why on earth no one ever thought about putting such a simple, yet informative cook book on the market before now!

Written by Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, these bestselling cookbooks are jam packed full of quick, easy and very delicious recipes that you can easily whip up to WOW your friends and family, and ALL with only 4 or fewer ingredients.

You won’t need to spend a fortune in measuring utensils. To use 4 Ingredients all you will need is 1 cup, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon – it’s cooking made real easy!

There are fantastic recipes for breakfast to dinner, entrees to desserts and lunchbox delights. So what are you waiting for ? Join the new cooking revolution today and make your life so much easier!

You will be super surprised and delighted with the fantastic dishes you can create using this easy to follow cookbook AND with ingredients mainly already found in your pantry!

If you are a busy person, or on a tight budget, have moved out of home, are still fine tuning your culinary skills, are going camping, are on the move and haven’t a lot of room for a full pantry, OR you simply haven’t had time to do the groceries, then this is the book for you! …

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Britain’s Got Talent – It’s Back !

Posted on April 11, 2009
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So, Britain’s Got Talent is back on our screens and once more it arrived with a bang. Amanda Holden is back looking as gorgeous as ever; sexy, smouldering and armed with tears at the ready! Amanda that is, not me! Britain’s Got Live Tour

Halfway through the opening show, Susan Boyle, a 47 year old from Scotland stunned the audience and I daresay the majority of the viewing television audience with her rendition of “I dreamed the dream” from Les Miserables. She has been singing since she was 12 and when Simon asked her why she hadn’t made it the doubts were cast and everyone sat back to watch car crash tv at its best, or is that worst? If you want to experience the show for yourselves then why not catch up with the Britain’s Got Live Tour – various venues around the UK. Check out the list here.

As soon as she opened her mouth, the crowd were in shock as were the judges with Amanda close to tears throughout. I’ve always had a soft spot for Les Miserables and this song is one of the best from the hit musical. She really did the song justice and despite the fact that we all get carried away with the emotion of it (i.e. a few duff notes) it was a truly magnificent performance. I can’t wait to see what she pulls out of the bag next.

Well done Susan, excellent performance. I don’t think it’s as good as the judges made out following the song but it was good! This is how it should be sung though – Judy Kuhn singing to Ronald Reagan!…

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CBS’s Harper’s Island – my premiere thoughts

Posted on April 10, 2009
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I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from CBS’s new thriller series Harper’s Island. The promotions were plentiful and showed a great deal of promise – but would the series premier live up to the hype? I think it did, in fact it excelled my expectations and I for one can’t wait to see what and who happens next!

HARPER’S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle for a destination wedding. This island is famous for a streak of unsolved murders from seven years ago. Although they’ve come to laugh and to love, what they don’t know is they’ve also come… to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival.

For the record, I did not see the first murder coming. Ok I had an idea that given the fact it was dark and the cameras were lurking in the woods something would happen but the victim? Last person I thought of!! This series has potential!!

In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

The premiere opens with what can only be described as a gruesome murder – a terrible way to die – not that there is ever a good way to be killed but the first one is particularly horrifying! All I’ll say is boat, prop and scuba tank – ouch!!!!

Featuring a stellar and rather familiar cast, Harper’s Island appears to be …

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Gideon Haigh’s Inside Out – book review

Posted on April 8, 2009
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Not only is Gideon a great Aussie bloke but he is a highly talented and skilled writer whose limits know no bounds! Well, that’s not entirely true. If he could carry off his literary skills onto the cricket field he would surely be playing alongside Punter, Pup and Mitch but they don’t and he doesn’t! This is probably a good thing!

Inside Out is his latest offering; the usual sharp wit is there as is the effortless writing that we have come to know and love in recent times. Haigh is up there with Cardus and is without doubt “the don” of our time as far as author’s go. Enough flattery, he gets enough! The articles are taken from a variety of sources that include “The Australian”, Cricinfo and Wisden Cricketer.

The book takes a detailed look at the administration, Bodyline’s 75th anniversary and a whole host of articles on Sir Donald Bradman to name but a few. In the book Gideon claims the best book written on Bradman is by Irving Rosenwater “The book is as superior to all other Bradman biographies as Bradman’s average is to those other batsmen”.

Putting Bradman to one side, Gideon devotes an entire section to commenting on various articles and books that have been published over time including Jack Fingleton’s “Cricket Crisis”. Fingleton’s book, published in 1946, is a retaliatory publication aimed at the bow of Sir Pelham Warner’s 1942 offering “Cricket between the two wars”. Both men give their account of that infamous dressing room incident that centred around the Australian captain Bill Woodfull and Sir Pelham Warner. Of the Australian captain, Fingleton with one hand commended his skipper as a fine fellow and with the other claimed “but Bodyline was a grim and ruthless battle into which a leader of …

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The Secret Millionaire: Gary Eastwood, a diamond in the rough

Posted on April 1, 2009
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I sat down last night to watch Channel 4′s “The Secret Millionaire” fully expecting a decent enough programme; millionaire complains at dirty digs, meets a few people, gives them cheques and then saunters back to his/her mansion and forgets about the people he has just spent the last week or so with. Series 1 DVD

Do not fear; we had all of that so at least we know the format will remain the same. What I didn’t expect was to go on an emotional rollercoaster to Blackpool and back with the millionaire. Most of the millionaires we have met in the series have been suit wearing, Ferrari driving financial types who show little or no emotion (maybe that’s why they have the money and I don’t!). There have been a couple who have been genuinely moved by the experience but they (to me at least) are few and far between.

Last night, Gary Eastwood (who set up his £20m business thanks to a £100 loan from his grandfather) visited Blackpool and we were treated to a town in despair, dilapidated buildings, the peer that has obviously seen better days and run down housing estates rife with drug and alcohol problems. It’s very sad to see how Blackpool, once the mecca of weekend holidays and stagdoos, has fallen into such a state. That said; I’m sure the film company didn’t show the best side of Blackpool to intensify the downbeat atmosphere.

He comes across as a down to earth guy, not one of these suits who couldn’t or wouldn’t give you the time of day. He is obviously affected by what he sees and who he meets and the emotions transfer from screen to living room effortlessly. He had a big impact on me last night and I for …

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