Emu with a Clue

Was going to nick over and see the Archibald exhibition at lunchtime today but saw that the entry price actually includes entry to three exhibitions so thought I might try and go next week when I can take a longer lunchbreak.

Here is the 'Heath' painting by 22yo Vincent Fantauzzo, now of Melbourne but originally from Ledger's home town of Perth:

Heath

You can read more and purchase a poster of the portrait here.

How many pair of shoes do you have? Out of those pairs, how many do you wear more than a few times a year?
Submitted by fightinggale.

 

 

Purple shoes

Not sure of how many exactly but the "shoe pile" in my closet probably about 30 X 60cm.  I actually wear most of them.  I recently went though got rid of all the ones that were mistakes or that no longer feel comfortable etc etc.  My favourites tend to be the ones purchased from the children's department (I can just fit into these).  They are usually wider so more comfortable and come in funkier colours and styles than adult shoes.  My favourites include some brown boots, some pink and orange sneaker type Mary Janes and the pictured purple suede ones (which are getting a bit worn out now but are so comfortable).

A scientific study has shown that nagging men does work  Going to send this link to my husband now!

WOMEN who feel they are wasting their breath nagging their other halves should persevere because experts say that nagging does work.

The mental exhaustion produced by a constant stream of questions or orders leaves men open to persuasion, research has shown.

In other words, it leaves most males too tired to resist.

Other tips on getting your way included not hesitating when making your pitch ums and ahs sound less convincing not giving too many choices and meeting face to face, New Scientist reported.

Flattery also helps you get your way, as does mirroring the body language of the person being persuaded.

Overwhelmingly, studies show people are more likely to do what is being asked if their mental reserves are low.

In one experiment, US researchers tried to persuade a group of students to agree to one month's summer holiday instead of three.

Half the students came to the study fresh, while the other half given a mentally-draining task beforehand were more willing to give up two months of holiday.

New Scientist said: "Avoid engaging in argument or doing battle with sales people when your mental batteries are low. Or, if you are trying to be persuasive, strike when your target is low on mental energy."

Another tip is not to ask for too much as the more reasons people are asked to support an idea, the less value they ascribe to each.

I do wonder about the stereotype of women being the naggers of the world though.  My husband much worse than me.  He probably wouldn't consider it nagging though.  Reminds me of a quote that a colleague used to have pasted above her computer:

Women nag.  Men remind.

 

emuface.jpg

As a working mum who cooks in bulk on the weekend, I found this advice was pretty helpful:

Is it safe to re-heat leftovers?

Paula Goodyer
May 8, 2008

We might know better than to let raw meat rub shoulders with raw broccoli on the chopping board but we're not always so cluey about leftovers. The pasta sauce you made on Monday might smell OK on Thursday but is it still safe to eat? Cooking meals ahead on weekends to eat through the week might get you a gold star for efficiency but what is their shelf life in the fridge?

The fact that more of our food is prepared in advance - and that we're eating out more - is blamed for the growth in cases of food poisoning in Australia. Still, according to figures from the Food Safety Information Council, you could be in safer hands in your own kitchen. The guess is that it's probably only 12 to 20 per cent of the 5 million or so cases occurring in Australia each year that are caused by home cooks, often because food has been kept at the wrong temperature or reheated incorrectly.

One problem about knowing if food is still safe to eat is that you can't always rely on your nose: last week's milk might smell and taste really off but may not be harmful, while a four-day-old still-fragrant curry might be brewing enough bugs to make you ill.

The first rule about leftovers is don't let them hang around on the stovetop while you linger over dessert or empty the dishwasher. As soon as food has stopped steaming, get it into the fridge, says Lydia Buchtmann from Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Her own system is to decant any leftovers into plastic containers at the same time as she's serving dinner and put them in the fridge.

If there's a lot of leftover food to put away - or you're cooking in advance - it's best to divide it into small portions to cool rather than putting large quantities of soup or a casserole into one big container, she says. The idea is to speed up the cooling process so that bacteria have less chance to grow. This is also important with pasta and rice - foods that might seem less dodgy than others but which can harbour the sneaky Bacillus cereus that can produce a toxin, especially in foods that are cooled slowly. Because this toxin is heat-resistant, it's not destroyed by reheating. Don't count on cold to knock it dead - it can keep growing in the fridge.

Cooking ahead for the week? Buchtmann's advice is to freeze meals unless they're to be eaten in two to three days. When you reheat them they should be served really hot all the way through (at least 75 degrees).

Can you reheat dishes a third time? It's probably not a problem if they've previously been refrigerated promptly, Buchtmann says - but dividing dishes into small portions means you're less likely to need a third reheating.

What about reheating leftover takeaway? The safest approach, she says, is only if the food has been refrigerated as soon as it has stopped steaming.

 

Cooking for the week ahead

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Not sure if I have mentioned previously but I live in a pretty Muslim neighbourhood in Sydney.  That is not the reason I am wearing my scarf on my head in this photo.  I had actually forgotten my umbrella and was trying to prevent my hair from getting wet and frizzy in the rain.  I was making the same 'fashion statement' dropping my kids at school one rainy morning and got a big grin from one of the Muslim mums who must have thought I looked pretty funny (or silly). 

Self portrait thursday

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Actually looking at the photo of myself makes me pretty glad not to be Muslim as I really don't have the face to carry the hijab off.  

Our local chemist looks gorgeous in hers.  She has a very round, cherubic face and the blue scarf she wears frames it beautifully.  Another friend who started wearing a scarf in her 30's has the wildest mop of curly hair you have ever seen and pretty funky at home clothes.  I have been at her house when she has been getting ready to go out and it has been amazing to see the tranformation from wild and crazy-looking at home F to neat and demure-looking going out F. 

The other confronting thing would be to have to forgo wearing make up.  I don't wear a lot but would feel very self-conscious going out without even my eyeliner on.  F was telling me about another woman she knew who had started wearing a scarf in her 30's only after having her eyeliner tattooed on.  That would be me, I think!

I can't watch Youtube where I am but think this is the one I saw on Australian television (20 to 1: Pranks and Pranksters) last night.  I was just about wetting myself.  I can so relate to that guy as I have been known to get the hysterical giggles in inappropriate situations and not be able to stop laughing.  I am pretty sure this is a set up (ie, the stony faced expressions of all the other 'guests') seem a bit of a giveaway.  Also some of the things the squeaky voiced guy says seem designed to provoke the host into further hysteria.  Very very funnym though!

Anyone ever been to Gulargambone?  I kind of want to go just for the name (also because it is pretty handy to Dubbo and want to take the kids to the zoo there before my free tickets run out).  Have you ever gone anywhere just because you like the name?  When driving south on the Hume Highway, I have to consciously stop myself from taking the turnoff to Tumbarumba.  Just the name makes me want to get out of the car and dance!  I'm sure if I did even take that turn off, Tumbarumba wouldn't quite live up to expectations. 

On the subject of 'evocative' (or weird!) Australian place names, here are the lyrics to the (original) Australian version of "I've been everywhere".  I particularly like the way it has Indooroopilly rhyming with "Don't be silly"! 

AUSTRALIAN VERSION:
(Geoff Mack) (1959)

Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road,
When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load.
If you're goin' to Oodnadatta, mate, um, with me you can ride.
So I climbed in the cabin and I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said
Listen, mate, I've travelled ev'ry road in this here land.

Cause I've been everywhere, man,
I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

"Been to . . "

I've been to Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba,
Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah,
Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla,
Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla,
Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla,
Wallambilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla,
I'm a killer.

I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

"Yeah but listen here, mate, have you been to..."

I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo,
Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo,
Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne,
Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine,
Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wanganella,
Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.

I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

"Yeah, I know that, but have you been to..."

I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby,
Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi,
Yarra Yarra, Bouindarra, Wallangarra, Turramurra,
Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra,
Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta,
Parramatta, Wangaratta, Coolangatta, what's it matter?

I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

"Yeah, look that's fine, but how about..."

I've been to Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat,
Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captain's Flat,
Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween,
Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy and Narrabeen,
Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly,
Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly, don't be silly.

I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
I've been here, there, everywhere, I've been everywhere.

"Okay, mate, you've been ev'ry place except one,
and ya don't need my help t'get there  . . ."

Source: Lyrics Playground

As for me, I am going to have to find another way of catching up on tonight's episode of Underbelly as I am going out to the pub with my old 'boobie gang' from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.  I really like these women.  I first met some of them at a similar event 9 years ago (when my first child only 9 weeks old).  None of us are breastfeeding anymore (probably a good thing as some of the 'kids' in high school now) but still find them entertaining company as well as a good source of advice on all sorts of odd and important things. 

By the way, the title of this post refers to an album put out by the Bloodhouse Gang back when I was still breastfeeding.  My brother sent me an album poster for a joke.

Hooray for boobies

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And yes, I will out myself here.  I breastfed my kids till they were well into toddlerhood and could 'ask for it' (hence the booby references).  It is actually something I am quite proud of as I don't consider myself a Mother Earth type at all (was scared shitless by the whole motherhood thing initially) so was surprised at what a good 'milker' I was. Probably could have fed a whole village with the amount of milk I produced.   

It is the final episode of Underbelly on televison tonight (sob!).  For those of you who haven't been illegally downloading episodes, you might be interested to know that the Uncut DVD of the series is on sale in all states but Victoria this Sunday (anyone planning to drive to Albury this Sunday?).  It is not quite in time for Mother's Day but my mum is happy to get her Mother's Day present late this year.  Have promised to buy an ExpressPost satchel before the weekend and pop the contraband into the post as soon as i am able to purchase it.  Think my mum would probably be exempt from jury service anyway (that's what I am saying, anyway!).

Kat Stewart and Gyton Grantley in Underbelly