Lilly's Life

And the beat goes on........La de da de da..

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:02:00 +0000

“Where does the time go?” I said to my friend Sue. “It’s now been 32 days since I last blogged. Given it only takes 21 days to break a habit I’m scared I won’t be able to write a single sentence again.”

“Of course you will” Sue laughed. “It’s like riding a horse isn’t it? You just need to jump back in the saddle. When you start writing again it will feel like you've never been away”.

“Mmmm, possibly’, I said.

I didn’t think the time was right to remind her that the last time I was on a horse was when I was 11. My grandfather and father were great horsemen. Naturally they had hoped that some of the next generation would follow suit. I was clearly standing in the shallow end of the pool when the horse whispering gene was handed out. It didn’t come naturally and even at that age I thought the jodhpurs did nothing for my thighs and I couldn’t understand why my boots didn't have stiletto heels.

My horse was called Blackie. She was special. I thought she was the fastest thing on four legs. Apparently the truth was she was very old, very slow, very patient and very polite. After three years riding, I never progressed up the horse ladder. I thought Blackie and I had ‘simpatico’ because she had a bit of a shoe fetish too. However, our relationship was unexpectedly cut short.

As it would happen, Blackie proved to be too polite and her patience wore thin. She was so polite that one day she came to a fence, stopped and let me go over first. She ditched me. I looked up at her with my mouth agape and was sure I saw a sly, toothy grin. Of course, no-one would believe me when I said she had done it deliberately.

I’ve been wary of quiet types with bigger noses than mine ever since.

Sue’s conversations are always peppered with 'horse talk'. I kid you not. She once looked at a picture of me from years gone by with long wavy hair and said I looked like Sarah Jessica Parker. Then without drawing breath she went on to ask if I thought SJP looked like a horse. I didn’t take offence because I know that she loves horses even if she doesn't have a soft spot for SJP.

And like many Australians, the love of horses is no more apparent than at this very moment. You see horse racing season is in full swing here.

The closest I come to horses or race tracks now is when I turn on the TV to watch the biggest horse race in Oz, the annual Melbourne Cup. The Cup has a central place in the Australian sporting tradition and the whole country stops to watch the race. Millions are bet, won and lost.

I turned on the TV last Tuesday, with the obligatory champagne in hand and heard the presenter say, “...in between races he has to see a psychiatrist because he’s a real head case.”

Poor jockey I thought....until .......it became clear he was talking about a horse!

Imagine - horses being treated by psychiatrists. How does that work I wonder? Do you hire a zen cowboy with an extra large couch?

Like every big sporting event there is always an underlying scandal. Horse racing is supposed to be the sport of Kings but apparently, as I learnt this week, it’s also the sport of Chechen dictators. The horse that came third in this week’s Cup is owned by billionaire Ramzan Kadyrov. He was described by a young Russian journalist who was later murdered as the ''deranged'' and ''virtually brain-dead, lunatic warlord Putin tapped to rule Chechnya.''

Kadyrov's militia, the so-called Kadyrovtsy, are still notoriously brutal, kidnapping, torturing and killing innocent civilians by the hundreds. I expect the third place prize money will only allow Kadyrov to buy a gold plated revolver because after paying fees, his trainer and jockey that’s as far as the prize money will stretch. Strangely, the horses that beat Kadyrov’s beautiful horse Mourilyan, are called Shocking and Crime Scene…………….....it’s almost as if the horses 'knew'.

Perhaps an 'animal' psychiatrist should spend some quality time with one particular horse owner. This filly is glad he was beaten. Imagine what Kadyrov could have done with millions in prize money. I truly hope he is made to stay off 'our turf' in future.

Well it seems that I’m now back in the saddle. Maybe I have old Blackie to thank for a few things after all (besides his lucky shoe collection that is).

I am closing comments until I can get around to visiting everyone and catching up with comments on your blogs.

In my next post I want to tell you about the wonderful book I received from the US written by a fantastic blogger, Linda Lou, from Las Vegas. I could not put it down and have read it twice so far. It made me laugh, cry and it filled me with inspiration. I will tell you all about it and its beautiful, talented author soon. For anyone who is stuck, looking for inspiration, wanting to start over, having a crisis, questioning their internal fortitude DO NOT MISS IT!

Take Care everyone and it’s nice to be back in the saddle. I’ve been totally preoccupied following all your advice from a few posts ago – no outcome to report yet but I will reply to your emails (sorry!) and let you know....

Here's a new way to stay in shape

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:56:00 +0000

I am not sure where this mountain top house or building is. Anyone know?

It took my fancy. All I know is if I lived there I would be very thin and a recluse. There is no way I would be dragging groceries up those stairs.

The Bank, a Butcher and a Dog

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Thanks everyone for your comments on my last post. I appreciate your support and help and have taken all your comments on board and will keep you updated.

Anyhow, it's time to get this blog back on track with a few laughs.

I just didn't expect the local Butcher, Tom,* to be the one who would give me my next post.

Tom's daughter Anthea is currently in the UK for the next year with her cousin Tania on a working holiday.

They befriended an elderly couple who live in London and who they visit often. As the couple were going to visit their daughter in Spain they asked the girls if they would look after their old dog for a couple of weeks while they were gone.

The girls agreed and were happy to help out. The dog was dropped off with pages of instructions. They followed them to the letter EXCEPT, two days before the elderly couple were due to come home the girls woke up to find the dog dead in his basket.

They contacted the couple who were understandably very upset. They asked the girls if they could bring the dog back to their house the next day.

This was easier than it sounded. The girls have no car and only travel by bus and train. So, after some careful planning, they put the dog in a suitcase and started on their trip.

As they were walking up the stairs at the tube station a young guy offered to help them carry the suitcase up the stairs. They were thankful, as it was heavy.

However, when they got to the top of the stairs, the guy started running .......away..... with the suitcase. AND THE DOG!!

The girls chased him but lost sight of him.

Tom said he wasn't sure how the girls explained this to the owners but they understood (would you believe that story?) but he did say he would have loved to see the look on that young guy's face when he opened the suitcase.

This may be the end of the girls' dog sitting days I think.....I know my dog sitting days are behind me too after looking after my brother's dog earlier in the year. Let's hope it might be the end of the robber's days too...the shock when opening the case might have bought him to his senses.

Has anything happened to you while caring for someone elses pets, kids, houses etc?

* Names changed to protect the innocent.

Which Bank? Australia's most convenient one

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I never air personal dramas on this blog but this time I really need your opinion. This has been part of a broader long running saga which some of you know a little about. It's not a funny story, sorry.

I am having 'major problems' with a bank and now I am going to make it public. SO PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU CAN! I need more opinions on this as I am losing patience and perspective and need help.

Tell me,

If you were one of Australia's biggest banks, the COMMONWEALTH BANK , and you got a fax supposedly from me which was sent from the United Kingdom at 1:10am in the morning (and my residence is in Australia) and it:

a) asked the bank to transfer say $77,000 from my Australian account into a foreign company account in no way attached to me,
b) showed a fax header with the name of a male person, sent from a fax number which was also the contact phone number given,
c) said that I had just been in contact with the Bank branch to arrange this particular transfer (I hadn't and the Branch only has 3 or 4 people in it so I am sure they could tell),
d) showed my Australian address and UK based contact details, address, email and phone details different to my personal account details held on the bank's record (which were current and which the bank used to contact me for credit card security checks), and
e) was signed with a signature that was verified against my 10 year old specimen signature held on the bank's record.

What would you do? Process it? Confirm it with me? Contact my personal contact details on record to ask questions?

The COMMONWEALTH BANK transferred this money immediately (the next working day) into a foreign company account, (not my account) without confirming this instruction with me.

They did this more than once unfortunately and I was not in a position to alert them immediately (I have made allegations to the police about all this - its under police investigation for this and other reasons which I organised not the Bank).

EXCEPT .........the one thing I did not predict in all of this was the Commonwealth Bank's stance on this. Totally dismissive, defensive and rude). It claims it authenticated the request with my signature (like cut and paste, photocopy or scanning weren't possible?) so end of story. Then they claimed at my prodding that clearly they must have been in contact with me, because there is an office stamp on the fax with a box ticked noting client contacted to verify transaction. They just cannot tell me how this was done and on what number or when. They also suggested that I must have changed my contact details given I maintain I was not contacted, but they do not have a record of those changes either. LIES. No matter how many times I have asked for the records I do not get them. It is apparently not up to them to prove anything. So the fact I contracted them to protect my assets means nothing? Again oddly, they have never asked me ONE question or queried anything despite my numerous letters, which anyone else would naturally have.

I have never faxed anything to the Bank in my life and never had any kind of agreement with them to accept faxed instructions from me. I had conversations with the acting Manager of my Branch twice (he is up and retired) about my plans for this money. This has been my only bank since I was 5, never had issues with them, and I am naively devastated. DUTY OF CARE? Means zilch. This is MAJOR.

The sad thing is that I have spent a l-o-n-g time diligently trying to get copies of all the source documents used by the bank (asking over and over again) to make these transfers to give to the police (three police forces involved - UK, Interpol and Australian Federal Police ) believing it was my job to do all of this. The Bank told ME to contact the Federal Police and appeared shocked when this was done. I also told them the UK Police told me that the Federal Police would get missing documents from the bank given they were not giving them to me. But now the bank says (when I phoned the Security area last week to ask how they were getting on with locating the final source doucments) that some documents were possibly lost, emails may have been deleted (even though it is impossible to do this because there are records on servers) and given searching was prohibitive (because it costs $60 a search), I would have to sign a stat dec saying it wasn't my signature on some documents in order for them to search for the missing and most important docs. Totally bizarre behaviour. I want all the documents they used to process these transfers not some. I am legally entitled to them. I have to add here that the UK police have been fantastic despite their delay in taking this on board.

Common sense or common courtesy or professionalism does not seem to apply here. And I would love to tell you more, because there is way more, but I will save that for court. I could do with some wise words, for or against the bank's stance. If I have missed something I would be happy to know. Maybe this is normal bank behaviour to accept faxes for such large amounts without verifying this on the customer account details held on file. I have asked this Bank in writing about their policy on this matter numerous times however apparently they cannot share their policies with their customers. This particular one about that particular issue with this particular person anyway. Yes, you read that right. However, if you ring them and they do not know who you are they are happy to give this information. They just cannot give it to me.

I am sure it will resolve itself somehow - with a lawyer and end up in court.

It's completely crazy and totally upsetting and I need advice if you have it.....

Give teachers a break

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:22:00 +0000

I come from a family of teachers.

My mother was a teacher and my four siblings all trained as teachers although only two of my older sisters are still teaching. And as for my mother, once a teacher always a teacher - she's been known to circle my blog posts with red pen.....

As for me? Well there's a reason I only have one child and that's all I am saying (and let's hope that one child doesn't read this because I always told her the real reason was that when you got perfection why bother going back for more only to be disappointed....).

I remember getting a scholarship to teach (yes it was a sought after career back in the day) but I bucked the family trend and did something entirely different. Even at 17 I knew my limits and I take a great deal of pride in the fact that there are hundreds of children out there that are better off as a result of my selflessness.

There is absolutely no way I could have handled 20, 30, 40 kids five days a week. And worse, I couldn't have tolerated the parents of some of those said kids blaming me for why their little Johnny or Mary wasn't recognised as a genius. It would have been a short and 'interesting' career I am sure.

Being a teacher must be like handling 1,000 year old eggs. It's not for the faint hearted, the clumsy of foot or those devoid of tact. So I really admire my sisters and every other dedicated teacher and teacher's assistant out there who love doing what they do.

However, just how hard do some parents make teachers jobs? There's a fine line between taking an active interest in your child's education and constantly knocking on the teacher's door with one more reason why they could be doing a better job.

That's why the following audio made me laugh out loud and I couldn't wait to send it to my sisters. It is supposedly an answering machine message from Maroochydore High School Queensland, Australia and has options such as:

To lie about why your child is absent, press 1
To make excuses for why your child did not do his work, press 2
To complain about what we do, press 3
...and so on.

Of course its a fake but more interestingly, the audio is actually based on a real-life 2002 clash between parents and teachers at Pacific Palisades High School in California, in which the school failed pupils for absences, regardless of their academic record. When parents started to sue the teachers, the teachers voted for a new office answering machine message.

The real-life details are as fascinating as the MP3 is amusing. Listen here.

Read about the California incident here.

And the message coming loud and clear from educators is don't blame schools for problems that parents and children should solve. I agree!

Dear Internet

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Happy 40th Birthday!

While most of us didn’t start using you until the 90s, it's amazing to think that you were really born on September 2, 1969 thanks to Len Kleinrock and his team at UCLA.

So why did I always think Al Gore had something to do with you? Not really sure....

Anyway, what would I do without you? Truly.

I've become sort of.....attached.

Not in any kind of creepy way though.

Although, I will admit, I've had my moments of obsession where I never seem to leave you alone.

And, there have been times, I've been accused of stalking you by some insecure male who can't quite understand what you've got that he doesn't.

I mean, p-l-e-a-s-e, where do I begin, without offending him, that is.

How about you answer all my questions, do I need to say anything more?

Besides, I like turning you on first thing each morning.

First to get my news fix (and several more times during the day because you kindly keep refreshing), then to check my email and then,

I have to check in daily with TMZ to get my latest celebrity fix. Harvey has got to be one of those lawyers they call 'ambulance chasers' because how else does he find out this stuff so quickly?

Then, there are 'THE BLOGS' (go visit my new blogging addiction, Here in the Hills - the Hollywood Hills that is and say hi to Naomi).

And where else can I shop all over the world without even getting out of bed?

And..... And.......

But, I do like to think of myself as a responsible addict.

I know when enough is enough and I begrudgingly step away from the computer just to give you space.

I half heartedly pledge abstinence and swear allegiance to some other worthwhile pursuit.

For a while.

Until no-one's looking, and....then

I'm back, keener than ever.

And without failure, you always have something new to show me.

Thank you Internet! I really do love you more than I can say and should possibly publicly reveal.

So, here's to the next 40 years. I can only imagine where it will take us.

PS. Before I go, I do have one request. Well it's a bit of advice really. Do you think you could just be a little bit more discerning as to whom you connect with? I am all for freedom of speech but I am not sure that keeping this blog open and allowing a public lynching by comments is such a good thing, hey? Although I will say, from hereon in, I will be looking more closely at blog titles, as Phillip Garrido also has blogs called, Exposed, The truth will set you free and Charging the angels with error. Frightening stuff.

So, tell me what do you love most about the Internet? Share your favourite internet sites.

Yeah it's Spring here....and that makes me all kinds of happy...

Des sees the Light

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:40:00 +0000

A few of my long time readers have asked how Des (my father) is doing these days.

Well, he's busy. Really busy.

R-E-A-D-I-N-G. L-O-O-K-I-N-G. W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G. S-E-E-I-N-G

Des has been almost blind for 12 years. But, a couple of weeks ago he had an eye operation.

As there was a chance he would lose his remaining sight he was prepared, after giving it a lot of thought, to face the odds. Although he'd been practicing walking around the house with his eyes closed - just in case.

"So, how did it go?", I asked the morning after the operation.

"It's a miracle", he said. "I'm the only 82 year old I know, besides Hugh Hefner, who went to bed with a brunette and woke up with a blonde."

Yes, it went that well - truth is, Mum has gone decidedly greyer (blonder) in the last 12 years since he 'really saw' her last .... Thank goodness his sense of humour is intact......and hers.

Anyway, he's busy catching up on all the sights. It's quite wonderful watching someone 'really see' again. Sometimes, we don't realise how much we take for granted and I am discovering some things I've been blind to as well.

Have a great week!!

Dear Boss

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:16:00 +0000

I am resigning.

You know why I want to resign?

Because since I've worked for you I don't have time to blog any more.
And when I don't have time to blog any more I don't visit any other blogs.
When I don't visit any other blogs my readers think I don't like them any more.
And when my readers think I don't like them anymore they don't visit my blog any more.

When readers don't visit my blog any more my hits drop.
And when my hits drop, it seems to make Blocher unhappy.
When Blocher becomes unhappy, they write to me and I become unhappy
And when I become unhappy, I eat a lot.

When I eat a lot I don't feel like exercising.
And when I don't exercise, I look bad.
When I look bad it affects your company's image.
And when your company's image is affected it affects your business.
When your business is affected it makes you unhappy.

And, we all know that when your'e unhappy, you eat a lot.
When you eat a lot, you get fat.....

You see?

It's a vicious cycle boss .......so I'm sure you can understand.
I am leaving you for your own good.

To the readers who asked me why I'm not writing posts or visiting blogs as much, there is your answer. It's My Boss.

It's just a little unfortunate that I am my own boss.

I am missing blogging as much as I used to - however I am going to visit everyone who has commented in the last two posts this weekend, so you better be ready and have something juicy waiting for me.

Tell me, how much time do you spend on blogging every week do you think? How many posts do you write a week? Anyone got it down to a fine art?

Have a great weekend. We have a beautiful winter's day here (for those who don't know I am in Australia so we have opposite seasons to most of you).

So Many Chemicals in the Air

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:43:00 +0000

And they are getting trickier and trickier to balance.

Medications such as Xanax, Demerol (pethedine), OxyContin and now Diprivan are hot media topics since the recent deaths of several celebrities including Michael Jackson.

The fact that people are dying from cocktails of prescribed medications doesn't shock me at all. I think it's far more common than we think. In Australia, about 18 million legal prescriptions are written each year to treat pain, anxiety and sleep disorders. That’s almost one prescription for every Australian.

Even though I hate taking any medication, even vitamin pills, I once had a close relationship with sleeping pills for a short while. It showed me just how easily addiction can take hold.

I was traumatised after leaving a violent relationship. Every time I closed my eyes to go to sleep I would have flashbacks. I was sleep deprived and desperate. I went to a doctor looking for help. In minutes, she prescribed sleeping tablets and antidepressants and sent me on my way.

I threw away the antidepressant prescription and filled the sleeping pill prescription instead.

They worked. So I kept taking them, increasing the dose as I went. After some weeks, I realised I was 'hooked', so I threw the tablets away.

Sleep is often at the hungry heart of the drug beast and it's something to watch out for in those around you.

The doctor had been quick to give me drugs to mask my problem but not so quick to help me deal with the root cause of my pain. While there is a very obvious and legitimate place for prescribed drugs they should never be used as band aid measures for what truly ails us.

I've no idea just how much of the current level of prescriptions handed out is patient driven as opposed to doctor driven . However, it's no surprise that the system that administers to the sick also acts to prop up the sickness of addiction. And like the parallel universe of street dealing, once addicted, the prescription addict has to work hard to find an obliging prescriber.

Many years ago, I discovered my next door neighbour was a pethidine addict. The shame of it all was that she also happened to be looking after my baby daughter while I worked. And of course her problem was something she wouldn't even admit to herself let alone to me.

She was a beautiful woman, with a gorgeous and seemingly happy family. She just had this teensy little problem...that gradually took over her life.

Thank goodness, it didn't take me long to discover her secret.

One day she asked if I would take her to the dentist as she had a toothache. She then said the dentist would not treat her as she had an abscess and she needed to go to a doctor to get antibiotics. Four doctors later, she finally got what she was looking for. Demerol (pethidine). She just shopped around doctors and dentists, with different stories, until she found one willing to give her what she wanted.

I don't judge the addicts but I do judge the many 'enablers' who benefit in some way from the sale of prescription drugs.

When it comes to our health we need to make sure we understand exactly what we are putting into our bodies. Drugs of any description are serious business. Our health and the quality of our life are serious business. However, we also need to be aware that for some parties, keeping people ill and addicted is also serious business.

Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that doctors are running businesses and some are not as ethical as they should be. We also lose sight of the fact that pharmaceutical company advertising is promoting illness as opposed just the drugs. More and more healthy people are now being defined as 'sick.' The strategies have many components — the most visible being TV and newspaper ads that make us think that our ailments and inconveniences are the signs and symptoms of genuine medical conditions. A sore stomach is “Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” a mild sexual difficulty is “Female Sexual Dysfunction,” and overactive grown-ups now have “Adult Attention Deficit Disorder.”

Be alert not alarmed. And for those people who are interested in reading about the relationship between drug companies and the medical profession, read this or this. It's a fascinating business which sometimes seems to focus more on the money to be made than the quality of human life.

Afterglow

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:27:00 +0000

It's my favourite time of day.

A very cool sunset in the last month of winter.

Except from tomorrow I have to get acquainted with sunrise.

I haven't laid eyes on her for years.

I momentarily lost my mind and agreed to exercise for the next 3 months.

It's supposedly for a good cause. Me.

I was inspired by our Prime Minister's 51 year old wife who just climbed some exotic mountain top after training for months with an SAS type person.

Then along comes pictures of Cindy Crawford kicking back on a boat in St Tropez looking like that at 43.

I nearly changed my mind. Cindy has the secret of youth. And it apparently doesn't involve chasing it.

Cindy says the secret to her great body is HAPPINESS.

Eating cupcakes makes me really happy. And I bet working out for hours a day makes her really happy.

Tough call. More cupcakes or more exercise?

I better get some sleep, and if you hear the groans and whinging about six hours from now just be thankful you don't live closer.......

Whatever you do this weekend, may it make you really, really happy because now we all know that happiness will give us a body just like Cindys......it's decent of her to share her secrets really.....for all the ******* good it's going to do the rest of us.

Bill's given me an idea...

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Regardless of your political views, you have to admit that Bill Clinton did some good.

He's solved a thorny problem in helping to liberate the two American journalists who either strayed into North Korean territory by mistake or were seized in China by border guards.

The man has it. Charm in bucket loads.

I guess our best attributes can often prove to be our worst attributes.

Bill's success has got me thinking. Granted, a little more laterally than I possibly should be before my evening glass of wine, but bear with me.

I am now wondering why Governments don't use 'really special people' as magic bullets to solve the world's problems.

And by "really special people", I don't mean ex Presidents. I mean white collar psychopaths. You know the human predators who look less like Charles Manson and more like Bernie Madoff.

Bernie seemed trustworthy enough. However, he single handedly changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in an extremely evil way. He is grandiose, exploitative, arrogant, charming, callous, immoral, superficial, deceitful, non emotional and manipulative. Just the qualities needed to become a special international troubleshooter in some far flung terrorist haven.

Personally, I cannot see the point of Bernie languishing in gaol for the rest of his days loitering around the prison library or taking woodwork classes. Why doesn't the American Government make him earn his keep and truly pay for his crimes? He is a Master Manipulator who must have an incredible mind. Could his 'skills' be used for good instead of evil?

Send him to the Middle East. China. Korea. Afghanistan. Better still, drop him in the remote mountains of Pakistan with enough food for 30 days and let him use those incredible powers of persuasion to find Osama bin Laden's cave (if he is alive, Bernie will 'con' someone to get the facts I am sure and persuade OBL to show his face).

What's the risk? It takes a sociopath to understand how the minds of other sociopaths work. They can be used as freelancers to deflect or solve crises. If we lose a few of them, in the more remote parts of the world, so be it.

OK, it may be too much of a risk having pathologically disordered folks flying the flag (then again we've had them running countries), but I think it's worth one of those ROI government trials at least.

I think I'll write to Obama about Osama and Bernie. Then I might have that drink and see where my thoughts take me. Yes, you are right, you probably have every reason to be worried....
____________________________________________________________

On another note I had to show you a few photos my nieces took of my favourite city in the world, New York. I am so tempted to sign up for BlogHer 10 just because of next years venue. Anyway, I was downloading the images and all was going well until the final one popped up. WTF? Does anyone recognise this part of the New York landscape? I am not sure if its the Bald American Eagle or whether the light on this gentleman's bald sport blinded the little photographers while they were taking a photo of another landmark. If you live in New York and recognise this 'bald landscape' let me know.

Giving concrete form to the intangible

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Friend: Have you ever thought that it's a little strange?
Me: What?
Friend: Having that many journals. What is with that?
Me: Well I never thought it was strange until you mentioned it....

So, how strange is it?

I've always been a person that plans, makes lists and jots down my thoughts. As a child I kept diaries, wrote suspect poetry, short stories and secret wishes. I still do. Except for the poetry bit, anyway.

These days I like to keep different aspects of my life in different journals. So I have a journal for blogging ideas, then one for business, one for my book, then one for personal plans, creative pursuits etc.

I even include artwork and cuttings from magazines and newspapers. I guess I could keep a large journal and compartmentalise it but I prefer smaller and more compact journals. I even select the journal appropriate to the purpose. Classic black for business use, and bright for something creative etc.

I tie it all together with one overall To Do list that I update often.

Given I have a Type A personality I concede it was probably a big mistake when some years ago I did Time Management and Project Management courses in the same week. I may have created a monster.

And now that I am part of the bloggerazzi set, my need to journal has exacerbated. I make notes all the time (and rarely use any of them) all with a view to weaving the quotes, expressions, stories, jokes into a post at some point in time.

So, what about you.

Do you keep journals? How do you organise your blogging ideas or posts?

Au Naturale Injections

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Dear Women of a Certain Age

The whole cosmetic surgery issue is a tricky one. On the one hand, I've told my friends to slap me and pass me a big fat can of Get Over Yourself if I ever consider getting surgery.

On the other hand, if I suffered trauma or illness that required surgery to restore what I once had, I would not hesitate.

HOWEVER, if I do 'get work', you can be sure I won't be lying about it.

As a makeup artist, I have to know what I can use on a client's skin because there are so many things people are having done these days. It's a duty of care issue. So why is it that so many women sit there, get all coy and lie about having had ‘work’? Why can't they admit it? Are they ashamed? Do they think they will be judged?

When I see someone who is faking it, and it happens a lot, I want to quietly say, "I know. It’s ok."

So to the 45 year old who sat there with her frozen face and used Nicole Kidman's line of "I am all natural. I stay out of the sun, eat healthily and have good genes", I say, Get. Over. Yourself. It's ok to do whatever you like if it makes you feel better about yourself. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I just want to put the best product on your face, that's all.

It's no wonder the average woman is shooting for unattainable beauty if there is so much denial out there. The majority of celebrities, at least here, are having non-invasive procedures such as botox, plasma and microdermabrasion all the time. And many will progress to plastic surgery which is pretty risky business when you see the results up close. That’s the reality and its not always a level playing field for the rest of us looking at these women from afar unless you have the wherewithal to keep up with them that is.

And when you know that, you can go back to running your own race in whatever way you want. Without the pressure of thinking 40, 50, 60 and beyond is meant to look a certain way. It's meant to look the way you want it to look. No pressure. No shame. Regardless of your choices.

And for those who are not so keen or cannot afford to get injected, pulled, peeled and prodded here are some makeup tips:
- Wear more blush to give dull skin a boost.
- Never use beige or pink-based foundation. This will suck the warmth out of your skin.
- Don't over-pluck your eyebrows. This will accentuate eyelids which tend to become fuller and droopier as you age.
- Match your brow colour to your hair colour.
- Don't go overboard on eyeliner under the eye. Use it on the top to get some lift.
- Avoid frosty or shimmery eye shadow. This will make skin look crepey. Go for matte shading colours like browns and black for shape and definition. And blend well.
- Don't forget your décolletage. This area shows some of the most aging so don't stop your make-up at your neck. Apply a soft wash of foundation to the area.
- Avoid dark lipstick. As you age your lips sag and are more lined and harsh. Try softer colours.
- Go easy on the lip gloss. This will make lipstick bleed and emphasise lines. Use it only in the centre of your lip to make your mouth look fuller and rounder.
- If you wear glasses eyelash extensions will give eyes a boost.
- Only ever use one product under your foundation. Adding too many will make your skin oily and the makeup cakey.

UPDATE: Now they say you should get rid of your long hair when you are middleaged. My daughter came home this weekend and this morning she agreed to give my hair a trim. I trusted her. Or did. She cut inches off so now my hair is kind of just above my shoulders but still long enough to put up thank God. I would post a picture but I am still crying lol!!! So as my final tip, I want to tell you that lawyers don't make good hairdressers and the word 'trim'means different things to different people. And there is a reason we should put ourselves in the hands of professionals. Good job I am not too attached to anything really. Hair grows.

Image: collage of my own makeup art

Maybe there's something in the water!

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:59:00 +0000

G'day Erin and Taylor

I have a question.

What do they put in the water in London?

When you left Australia ten years ago you looked like this.

What the hell happened to you - now you apparently look like this.

I guess ten years can really change a person.

I suppose I better warn you.

When you left here ten years ago I looked really, really, really hot.

OK, you may not remember. You were only young.

Unfortunately, Australia has been in drought and short of water ever since.

So here goes, just so there's no surprises, stunned silences or awkward giggles, OK?

Can't wait to see you, your Mum and Dad, baby sister Caitlyn and eventually big brother Ethan when he decides to come back for a visit. I'm getting all my best Aussie slang dusted off ready to teach you girls some 'proper English'.

Enjoy New York and LA on the way home!!

Love

One very excited Aunty who happens to also be one very recalcitrant blogger (I've been sought of tied up with Interpol this month, truly. Even the BlogHer ad and my Blogroll disappeared given my sblogness, oops!)

Gone Fishing!

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:57:00 +0000

I am taking time out from blogging to catch up on life. See you all soon!

Stripped Bare

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:30:00 +0000

The economy has been hard on everyone.

Take the poor airlines. Has anyone else noticed how more and more planes seem to be 'dropping out of the sky?'

Even our beloved Qantas Airlines, which is the only airline in the world not to have had a fatal crash since it started flying Boeings, has had numerous 'incidents' in the last 12 months as the result of ‘mechanical failure’. In other words, my words, maintenance has been outsourced where labour is cheaper and standards are more questionable.

Corners are being cut left, right and centre. So all airlines are looking at ways to attract new customers.

My hat goes off to Air New Zealand who has come up with a unique way of trimming the fat and at the same time, giving customers a reason to fly with them.

They recently released an advertisement called Bare Essentials which features body painted staff. Yes, it seems they are giving each staff member a paint by number set to colour in their own uniforms. Imagine the savings!

All jokes aside, they aren't giving up uniforms just yet but the airline has decided to expand its use of body painted staff from advertisements to the in-flight safety video used on 737 domestic flights.

Starting this week, thousands of Air New Zealand passengers will now get their flight safety instructions from staff wearing nothing but body paint.

It hopes to catch the attention of those travellers who ignore the safety video.

As a makeup artist who has done body painting for creative projects, I think there is a time and place. I hope they stop there.

I give them ten points for creative effort but I am still only taking my hat off for them. Nothing else.

At this rate, I wonder how long it's going to take before they change their name to Air Nude Zealand?

To watch the making of the airline's TV advertisesment, click here. You have got to love that Kiwi accent!!

I wanna party like it's 19....

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:31:00 +0000

November, 1909....They were totally unaware until the visitors drove up. The fine large room recently erected for the men’s quarters during shearing time was invaded, bunks removed and soon everything was ready for the dance. The genial host and hostess and family joined heartily in the fun, as did also the shearers, and a warm welcome was received by all. At midnight, refreshments were handed around, which were provided by the visitors, after which the fun was resumed and kept going to daylight. Refreshments were again partaken of, after which a start was made for home, one all having thoroughly enjoyed the night’s fun.

This excerpt came from a newspaper article about a party held at my relatives farm in 1909. They were probably sitting around the fire with their seven children when they were surprised by lots of people who had driven for miles, just to have a surprise party. Imagine.

These days the past holds as much fascination for me as the future. I’ve noticed my eyes no longer glaze over when my mother talks about the family tree.

Yesterday, I immersed myself in her book which holds the lives of families past.

There was the Polish Countess who had to escape when Russia invaded and her relatives who had to do the same when Germany attacked. Then there was the English convict banished to Australia for stealing a handkerchief. And some interesting skeletons like the Norwegian ship Captain, a Polish mother and an 8 month voyage.

My father has a Polish and German background. He is blue eyed and fair. Names like Ferdinand, Frederick, Karl and Johann abound. My mother has a British and Australian background. She is olive skinned and dark. Both lineages entwined with Jewish, Catholic, and Church of England beliefs which wax and wane with each passing generation.

Mix all that together and you get me. A fair haired, pale skinned, green eyed Australian with my mother's Jewish nose and a feeling that I have strong roots in Italy for some peculiar reason. Go figure.

My world is indeed a melting pot. And the generation which follows will spice it up some more with Asian and Pacific influences.

While I was leafing through the past, something struck me.

Despite all the advances made in the last century, are we having as much fun as they appeared to in past generations? Are we in fact far more isolated in our hi tech industrialised cities than our ancestors who lived in isolated and sparsely populated parts of the country?

Maybe they had less of everything and life was harder but maybe they had more of what counts. Close friends, family, neighbours, a strong sense of community and some amazing all night parties.

They say you have to take the good from the past, learn the lessons and forget the rest. I think I found 'the good' today.

I want to party like they did in 1909.

Surely I am blessed with the party gene......and if I knock on your door after dark sometime, you better have some great music and your dancing shoes on....

When was the last time you partied till dawn?

1909 events
King Edward VII was on the throne. Construction began on the Titanic. Joan of Arc was declared a saint.
London's Victoria and Albert museum was opened. The world's first air race was held. The actor Errol Flynn was born.

Dear Mark Sanford,

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:26:00 +0000

I know it’s none of my business, and I know you are a politician in another country, but I spotted you today on a news site and I just had to find out why you were still looking so forlorn.

Oh, I see. Another revealing media interview.

Somewhat foolish. And no, you just can't put the genie back in the bottle Governor. That notion belongs in fairytales.

What did you think you were doing exactly? Revealing all that extra stuff on top of the stuff you had already revealed in a previous press conference.

I know love is blind but in case you weren’t aware of it, it doesn’t mean it also has to be deaf and dumb!

As Shakespeare said, the better part of valour is discretion. What he meant is, please shut your mouth before it’s too late!

There is nothing sadder than another middle-aged politician publicly confessing his sins. And then confessing more and more to the point you would easily get a walk on part on the Bold and Beautiful and not look out of place.

Telling everyone you are committed to reconciling with your wife, even though you love and have a strong emotional attachment to another woman and that you would die happy knowing you had met your 'soul mate', was a clear signal you need to be committed to somewhere quiet for a while.

Do you think it was necessary to also reveal that there were at least a handful of other women you overstepped the 'marital boundaries' with, on your frequent overseas trips?

Given you are a politician, we might have expected you to say that you got a little confused about what bi-lateral relations actually meant (although in your case multi-lateral relations may be the more appropriate term), so you took some creative license and made it your public duty to conduct a handful of foreign affairs. All in the line of duty.

You didn't. You told the truth.

However, you should have spared the entire world all the juicy details and just said, I, Governor Mark Sanford, misused public funds for personal use. I can no longer be trusted. I resign. Good bye.

No, I don’t think you can even call it a mistake or a lapse in judgement. Even though you found what you were looking for. A mistake is choosing the wrong tie to wear with your suit, or going to the wrong restaurant for dinner, or buying the wrong book, or hiking the Appalachian Trail and going in the wrong direction (oh thank you Governor for that euphemism). Using public money, no matter how small the amount, to fly off to see your lover is, is just plain wrong.

Perhaps you need to make a commitment to yourself first. Stay away from the press. Leave public office. Then allow your wife and children the opportunity to retain a shred of dignity. Finding your soul mate has got to be worth that sacrifice surely? For everyone’s sake.

Lilly

Readers I am curious about your views on this.

I am not judging this guy for his affairs, that's between him and his wife. I am judging him on the way he chooses to confess more and more each day to the media without a care in the world for the impact of what he is revealing. It's hard to conceive of Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Julia Gillard or any other high ranking female public or private sector official holding a news conference to say they had been conducting an affair, disappeared to another country to call off an affair or visited a male prostitute.

Why are there so many middle-aged male political officials who feel the need to publicly confess their sins in this way? Is it because men who have been in power for so long feel they are above the rest of society and they are sorry they got caught? Or is it because they have acted so piously towards others when they themselves are doing far worse and feel guilty? Or does power distort one’s moral compass and self awareness? Or are these men just normal blokes who are trying to do the right thing (after they get caught).

All comments go into this month's giveaway drawn on Sunday night mid-night.

Would you watch me if I took up boxing?

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:45:00 +0000

All you parents with little female budding sport stars had better make sure you spend just as much time on their beauty regimes as you do their sporting prowess.

Why?

Box office appeal is critical when you get to the top of your chosen sport.

Wimbledon 2009 has shown us that elite sport is all about style over substance, beauty over talent.

There were very few top ranked female tennis players who featured on Centre Court this week. Instead we saw some very attractive lowly ranked players. According to a spokesman from the All England Club, “a player’s attractiveness is a key factor to playing on Centre Court.”

Well of course it is, duh! Centre Court games are televised. And here was I thinking they were giving the underdogs a bit of exposure.

The television market knows what it likes. And it likes good looking players. How they play the game is secondary.

I am calling it Spornography (and if you don’t believe we need a new term for it, go watch some beach volleyball).

Given most females I know would never turn away from watching Andy Murray just because he isn’t as attractive as say Rafael Nadal, I canvassed a few males to get their thoughts on the subject.

“Isn’t that what female sport is about? Eye candy with a bit of sport thrown in?”
“Why do females watch football, then? Not for the game I will guarantee.”
"Sexiness is pretty much all the women's game has going for it.”
“Sex sells.”

Yes, clearly I know some Neanderthals. However, in gathering this feedback I did discover a hidden boxing talent which saw the light of day. (And you don’t have to be pretty to make it to the top in boxing do you? Although....Ali was a damn pretty boxer wasn’t he?)

Thankfully, grand slam winners are still chosen on their sporting achievements. However, as Anna Kournikova proved, you don’t need to win a grand slam to be the richest player on tour. You can earn far more in sponsorship deals as long as you possess that certain marketable quality.

Are we, the television viewing public, really that shallow? Oh, I know we are. But do we have to be?

How does a person who hits a ball with a raquet (and who may or may not be blessed genetically) get to earn millions? Then again I guess it's the same as a model wearing somone else's clothes on a catwalk, or a Hollywood actor repeating someone else's words, or a football player kicking a ball around a field. Wouldn't we all be better off if we paid elite scientists millions (instead of the peanuts they get) to find a cure for Cancer or Aids?

Maybe if we didn’t feed the beast and value the superficial to such a degree, the world would be a happier, saner and healthier place.

I will be waiting until the finals to watch Wimbledon this year. I’ve always been a substance over style kind of girl anyway. One with a newly found left hook. You better watch it!

Note: Everyone who comments on this post gets an entry into June’s Giveaway (will post details of later). Yeah it will be beauty over substance to accommodate the masses....no, they'd already sold out of Wimbledon Centre Court Calendars, sorry.....market forces and all...

Life's too short to.....

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:30:00 +0000

This week I saw the title of a book that I couldn't wait to read. Titled Life's Too F***ing Short, it detailed all the things we waste our time, energy and hard-earned cash on. Author Janet Street-Porter says life's too short to get depressed about being single or broke, being a size zero, worrying about whether you're clutching the latest designer handbag, spending $100 on face cream; trying to cook like Nigella Lawson and constantly whinging at men for all the stuff they don't do around the house. "Leave it to the professionals," she quips.

Q: Finish this sentence: "Life's too short to...."

It's a good idea to always check their homework

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Mommy actually works in a hardware store and sells shovels. Art is such a personal interpretation isnt it?

Artist: Unknown - email forward
Mommy: is just pleased she saw this before it went on display in the classroom for Parents' Day.

Farrah and Michael

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:50:00 +0000

It's kind of sad to wake up today and hear about the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

No, I didn't know them but its amazing how influentional some 'stars' can be when you are a child and teenager.

She was the gorgeous girl from Charlies Angles whom I loved and wanted to look like. Yes, I had the posters and the Farrah hairstyle (thank goodness for hot rollers). She was also a very talented artist with some amazing artwork.

And his was the first music I ever bought when I was a child. I remember playing it over and over. It was Ben (see video), he was a teenager and I still know all the words. Regardless of how bizarre his life may or may not have been, he was incredibly talented, his music spanned generations and he inspired many artists who followed him. In statistic terms, he was a legend.

Very sad for their children and families.

Thanks for the memories.

Life is short, no matter who we are. Let's make the most of it.

War of Words – between the old and the new

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:58:00 +0000

What’s the matter Rupert, is your business feeling threatened by anonymous bloggers?

It seems the rise in popularity of the humble blog is causing some issues for the print media.

This month a UK High Court Judge refused to preserve the identity of an anonymous blogger, maintaining it was in the public interest for The London Times newspaper to reveal his identity. Mr Justice Eady said blogging was a “public rather than a private activity” and bloggers would not automatically be guaranteed anonymity just for writing under a pseudonym.

Richard Horton, a Detective in the Lancashire Constabulary, started his anonymous blog, NightJack, in February 2008. He discussed head-on accounts of investigating serious crime and how he believed policing should work within society. His readership grew to 1500 a day and he was offered a book deal which he declined. He ceased posting in January 2009 but his blog remained on the internet.

Then, unexpectedly, in February 2009, his blog was long listed for the presitigious Orwell Prize for political writing. In March 2009, NightJack made it on to the shortlist. To his shock, he ended up winning. The morning after his win (he didn’t turn up to accept the award), his blog was mentioned in The Guardian and in The Sun newspapers. As a result, his blog readership went up to 60,000 a day. He donated his award prize winnings to a police charity. His e-mail inbox had offers from newspapers, literary agents, publishers and people who wanted to discuss film rights and TV adaptations. He declined.

A short time later, he and his employer got phone calls from a Times reporter asking if he was the author of NightJack. He went to court to stop the newspaper from publishing his name and personal details about his home and family. He lost. His details were published.

Not surprisingly, there has been an angry backlash from the blogosphere about this case. Seven other anonymous police blogs have already been deleted because they fear being 'outed' as well.

The Times also 'outed' another blogger and revealed her true identity. In the public interest, of course. Zoe had just turned her personal blog into a book called Girl with a One Track Mind. As a result, she lost her job and suffered a great deal.

And yet, if you read a recent article written by the journalist, Anna Mikhailova, who outed Zoe, you would imagine that bloggers were the ones causing print journalists serious mischief. "Unmasking an anonymous blogger can ruin your reputation and threaten your career", she says in this recent article.

The traditional media operates through fear and sensationalism and has the backing of a large legal team. As Anna says in her article, “every national newspaper has a legal team to check stories for defamatory content and to see if they serve the public interest. Few blogs can say the same. If bloggers were made aware that their anonymity was not always absolutely guaranteed, then arguably they would be just a tiny bit more careful. So perhaps the occasional outing is just the level of control that the blogging community needs. “

Right, so we bloggers need to be kept in line do we?

As an individual who once had the misfortune of being contacted by a reporter and appearing in a British newspaper article myself (one which was short on facts and big on sensationalism), Anna Mikhailova is talking out of her a**. Unlike the mighty media corporations, the average person does not have the backing of large legal team to encourage Fleet Street to be a great deal more careful with the facts. If we had the same muscle, Rupert and his peers wouldn't be billionaires.

I love that millions of individuals from all walks of life are sitting at their keyboards expressing their opinions and flying beneath the traditional media radar. On Blogger alone, 270,000 words are written every minute of every day. And information can be spread faster than any media outlet ever could. Take, for example, those brave souls twittering and blogging in Iran.

However, anonymous bloggers who have something interesting to say and whose blogs generate a large readership, should be aware. Big Brother might eventually want its piece of you and you may find yourself punching above your weight. Unless you have a large legal team behind you. And a few passports in strange names.

Do you think the print media has any right to ‘out’ anonymous bloggers? What obligations do we (as bloggers) have when we choose to publish our views in the public domain?

Given I bet he does Google searches on himself, the views expressed in this post are those of an anonymous blogger with only a few readers, one lawyer in the family and only one passport, dammit!! Rupert , I love your mother does that count? I know you are scared of her. She told that to one of your reporters, so it must be right.

The day Isaam came to live with us

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:15:00 +0000

I was talking to a young taxi driver last night. He told me how he and his family had been forced to leave their African country and how they had roamed from one country to another before he and his brother came to Australia as refugees. He doesn't know what became of his parents or his sisters.

His story made me think of all the refugees around the world who become displaced through no fault of their own. It also made me think about the homeless who have nowhere to go because of situations outside of their control.

But most of all, it made me think of Isaam and how he came to be part of our family.

I mentioned him in a previous post and some readers wanted to know more about him.

My daughter Jordan brought Issam home ten years ago.

She met him at a school bus stop. He was 15 and had nowhere to live.

Helping people like this wasn’t such an unusual thing for my then teenage daughter. She is a born advocate. Her second grade teacher told me she would either become a union activist or a lawyer because she was always defending children when they got into trouble in class. It was therefore no surprise to me when she decided to pursue a career in law.

Isaam (or Ian as he later wanted to be called as he and the rest of the world struggled with his Muslim heritage), was born in Amman in Jordan. His mother died when he was five and his elderly father sent him away to boarding school. He was repeatedly assaulted by two teachers. He was only 11 when his father died. He had no family in Jordan who wanted to take him. Finally, an uncle whom he had never met, agreed to take him to live with him in Sydney.

One would have hoped for 'a happy ever after ending' for Isaam at that point, but it was not to be. His uncle didn't enrol him in school but made him work for him in his cleaning business. He apparently then beat him if his cleaning efforts did not meet his standards. He once again slipped through the net. Imagine, even in the lucky country.

Eventually he ran away and lived between children’s homes and on the streets.

The first time I met him he called me ‘Mum’. At the time I was taken aback, undecided as to whether he was being manipulative or crying out for help. I think it was a little of both.

His big brown eyes were hard to ignore. My heart melted. And that was even before I had heard 'his story' from a social worker.

After a great deal of persuasion from my daughter, Isaam moved in with us. It wasn't easy for any of us and I am sure each of us wondered in those first few weeks whether we had made the right decision.

Here was a young man who had grown up in the most difficult of circumstances and was traumatised in many ways as a result. He was hiding some dark secrets and I felt I was ill equipped to deal with a teenager in such need particularly as I had a busy job.

And yet, looking back, the more difficult times were outweighed by the more poignant and positive ones.

Isaam was in a special education class as Arabic was his first language. He was reading first grade readers. One day I asked him to read one to me. He struggled with three letter words. I tried to help him as anyone would. When we finished he said, “Do you know Mum, that’s the first time anyone has ever helped me with homework”. He was so exited. I cried. Something so simple.

He would clean his room and then ask me to come and inspect it. Old habits die hard. He was overjoyed when I told him it was perfect. And perfect it was. I have never seen anyone who could clean like he can.

He was desperate to stay with us. However, he was also used to living life without any 'rules' and had no real sense of family life. In many ways he was very independent. I recall one day I had to speak with him about one of his violent outbursts and he got down on his knees, sobbing and begged me not to send him away.

On one hand he was this super cocky street boy yet on the other, he was a little boy lost who had missed out on the one thing every child has a right to expect. To never be abandoned.

We persevered.

Isaam eventually finished school, moved into his own flat and got a job. He became a salesman. And a wonderful salesman he has made too. He could sell snow to eskimos. I am sure those big brown eyes have ‘clinched the deal’ many times over. And anyone looking at him with that confident smile, hearty bravado and smart suit and tie, would never guess at his horrific past. And that's just how we would want it to be.

I know that some things will not always come easy for him but he is a survivor who is loved by many. When he came to live with us it made me realise that it’s often those with the most cocky and outgoing personalities who are hiding in the darkest shadows. We should never make assumptions about who we think people are or where they have come from until we really know them and understand 'their stories'. And we all have stories. Often with many complex and overlapping layers. Jordan and Isaam taught me that and I'm extremely grateful to them both.

Have you ever met anyone who has had a significant impact on the way you view the world?

Note: Estimates are that there are 150 million street kids across the world. It doesn’t really matter how many there are. Even one child abandoned on the streets to his or her fate in Sydney, New York, Cairo or Bucharest is one child too many. We need to keep our eyes and hearts open and do much more so that children have a voice, a choice and are protected from abuse and neglect.

Questions for you - part II

lilly@lillyslife.com (Lilly) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:50:00 +0000

Last weekend I asked a question about a movie of your life -you can read about it here. This weekend I have a few more unusual questions. They are meant to be fun and designed to find out how differently we feel about certain topics. Don't take them too seriously.

Q1. You are the Editor of the London Times. You have just learned three extraordinary things:
Scottish marine biologists have defied all odds by finally capturing a live Loch Ness Monster in the Scottish Highlands after many years of fruitless searches.

Forty years to the day that man landed on the Moon, it has finally been proved that the landing was a fake and was filmed in a Hollywood studio, and

The White House has also just announced that the President has a terminal illness and will undergo an immediate operation.
It is your job to decide what goes on the cover of the newspaper. Which story are you going to choose?

Q2. At long last, somebody invents the dream VCR. This machine allows you to tape an entire night's worth of your dreams. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use it if you agree to a strange caveat: when you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don’t agree to this, you can’t use the dream VCR. Would you use the dream VCR?

Q3. You work in an office. Generally, you are popular with your coworkers. However, you have just discovered that there are currently two rumours circulating and both involve you. The first rumour is that you got drunk at the office party and had sex with one of your married coworkers. This rumour is completely true, but most people don’t believe it. The second rumour is that you have been stealing hundreds of dollars worth of office supplies (and then selling them to cover a gambling debt). This rumour is completely false, but virtually everyone assumes it’s factual. Which of these two rumours is most troubling to you?

Have a great weekend and make sure you go and visit Sandi at Lucky Thirteen Plus One to find out about her fabulous and very creative monthly giveaways.