Did you know?

My uncle sent me a link to the latest 'Did you know?' video on YouTube. A video that was put together to make you think about the future and give you a few eye-opening stats along the way.

YouTube then suggested I watch 'Did You Know?: The 2009 Inauguration Edition' and thus gave me my Lincoln reference for the day. Did you know that the first course of Obama's Inaugural Lunch was served on a replica of Lincoln's china, displaying the American bald eagle, US Coat of Arms, and a border of 'solferino' (a colour popular back in the 1860s).

And of course, but this was already a well-known fact, Obama was sworn in on Lincoln's bible, which hadn't been used at an Inauguration since 1861.

There you have it folks, another day in the world of Lincoln references.

Anton is free

Last night, watching Season Three of Dexter, Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) tells Anton (David Ramsey) he is free. His response...'Have been since Abe Lincoln'. Of course she meant that he didn't have to be a police informant anymore, but I was happy to have my Lincoln reference for the day!

Anyone else have any good ones? Anyone? Come on, share with me!

Image courtesy of www.imdb.com

Me vs Obama: who likes Lincoln best?

Since I started my obsession with Lincoln I have been given and managed to track down a few very decent books on the subject, including Dale Carnegie's own Lincoln the Unknown, and Gore Vidal's Lincoln, Thomas Keneally's Lincoln, Faulkner and Kepner's America - It's History and People, along with Chuck Wills' almost-picture-book-quality Lincoln - The Presidential Archives, which comes complete with copies of his letters and other documents.

But more recently I was lucky enough to be given two books, the very funny Secret Lives of the Civil War by Cormac O'Brien, and Pulitzer Prize winner Team of Rivals - The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Team of Rivals is toted around as the book that inspired Barack Obama.

With Obama sharing my obsession with Lincoln (ok so maybe he got in first, he is older than me after all, but I maintain that I am more devoted to my obsession than he is), there are references everywhere. Obama giving his address at the Lincoln memorial, and the 200th anniversary since Lincoln's birth celebrations, have meant that photos of Linc even found their way onto the front covers of lowly Canberra newspapers! There are references in his speeches, references to Obama referencing Lincoln, and speculatioin on Obama's next Lincoln references!

So my Lincoln sightings have certainly been bumped up a notch, but I still prefer the really obscure references when I can get them. For example, while browsing the magazine stand in a local newsagent the other day I did a double-take as my eye caught the top of an old black and white photograph I recognized. I pulled out the magazine to find I had stumbled across a Smithsonian Collector's Edition magazine on Lincoln. It had been imported from the US, and I've never paid $21.50 for a magazine before, but I had to have it for my collection!

Image courtesy of www.zazzle.com

Lincoln, just as good on fabric

My sister sent me a link to Linc, in t-shirt form. I ordered it straight away and couldn't have been more excited when it came in the mail the other day!

It is a little odd though... Anyone who knows anything about Lincoln knows that when it came to duel-time he preferred a long sword over pistols, to take advantage of his long monkey arms.

Does it count as a Lincoln sighting each time I wear it, or is that cheating?

Twentieth Century Fox brings Lincoln back to life

To continue on with my Lincoln sightings, I went to the movies last weekend and the trailer for Night at the Museum 2 Battle of the Smithsonian came on. Sure enough, not only does everything in the Smithsonian come to life but outside things, like the Lincoln memorial statue!

Then yesterday a friend sent me a link to an online exhibition the Smithsonian had going, and I accidentally stumbled across their collection of Lincoln portraits. I swear it was an accident, really!

Look out, Lincoln is behind you!

In April 2008 I visited the Lincoln memorial in D.C. and I can only describe the feeling as the closest I've ever come to a spiritual experience. I got goosebumps, everything went quiet (despite the throngs of yelling school children on excursion), and I just felt really, really calm.

Since that day, a year ago, I have seen Lincoln everywhere. Sure, you might argue that he has always been everywhere but I just wasn't looking for him...but it sure is getting spooky.

Now I don't normally believe in 'signs' as such, and I think you make your own destiny, but maybe there is something here. Am I meant to learn a lesson from Lincoln? I'm sure he's got some good ones to teach, even if it is posthumously.

So I thought I would start making a note of the Lincoln references I come across. Over the last year it has included some really obscure things like hearing his name in a rap song, Family Guy references, Dale Carnegie books, and being sent an email from Semi Permanent (design conference) with a big, 'ol picture of Ron English's version of what Lincoln and Obama would look like if they had a love child on the front.

I may be bordering on obsession when it comes to Lincoln these days, but it sure is fun. I've started doing a lot more reading into his life and history, even named a recent goldfish Linc (sadly he was assassinated - no pun intended).

So if you see any of your own, feel free to add them to mine!

Image courtesy of Ron English.

A LEGO a day

Someone sent me the link for this blog A LEGO a day and I just can't get enough of it. Such a perfect combination of cute situations, funny captions, and lovely photography.

If you haven't seen it already you should definitely check it out!



Image courtesy of legomyphoto.wordpress.com

Cotton Club

The Ladies Only Dance Performance Class (we couldn't decide on a name in time) performed at the Cotton Club dinner and dance as part of the Canberrang weekend recently.

It was held at the Southern Cross Club, and although the food left something to be desired, the music more than made up for it. Oh, and of course the dancing was fantastic (if I do say so myself).

Chris Rock

On Tuesday 5 August we went to see Chris Rock's No Apologies Tour at the State Theatre. I didn't know what we were seeing, and the tickets had been bought ages ago, so I had to keep my eyes down going into the theatre and try not to overhear what other people were talking about. I figurd it out right before he came out....thanks to my awesome powers of deduction.....and deciding that the stage wasn't set up for a musical or band!

The theater itself was amazing! It was opened in 1929 and designed by Henry White, with elements of Gothic, Italian and Art Deco all rolled into one. The crystal chandelier that was above us in the balcony is the second largest on earth, weighing over four tonnes!! Glad those 1920s bolts kept it in place!

Chris Rock was pretty impressive too. :o) It is the first time he's toured Australia and his first stand up trou in over three years. He's done stand up, acting, voice overs, MC at award ceremonies, screen plays, directed, produced, written, sung, you name it and he's probably given it a go!

As usual his act centred around his child-hood, politics, and inter-racial dating. If there are any tickets left I'd recommend you snap them up!

Trip through the nineties

I've been continuing my musical trip down memory lane, and re-visiting favourite artists from my childhood. As every good journey should, mine has started with New Kids On The Block. For those of you who are too young to remember them, and have neglected your musical education thus far, New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) are a pop group that peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

My favourite song was Hangin' Tough. If you haven't already, you should definitely check out some of their film clips, they'll have you in stitches for hours. They were the starting block for other boybands like the Backstreet Boys, Take That and NSYNC. Apparently NKOTB are planning a reunion, new album and an international concert tour, stay tuned!

After NKOTB my next stop was Boys II Men, a four-time Grammy Award-winning R&B quintet. They got together around '88, and get this....they are still together now! They had loads of number one hits (End of the Road, I'll Make Love to You, One Sweet Day etc) and if you haven't listened to them recently, take a trip down memory lane with their soulful harmonies. ;o)


Now, who remembers Roxette. Those Swedish hotties who reached worldwide success in the late '80s and early '90s!! How many girls had their hair cut short and bleached white as a result of these two! They had a few number one singles and a couple of platinum albums. Remember Joyride, and It Must Have Been Love? Classic!

Then, what trip through the '90s would be complete without Salt-n-Pepa! They are still the highest-selling female rap act. Bet you didn't know that they were originally called Supernature! Their most successful album so far is Very Necessary, which came out in '93 with Shoop, Whatta Man, and None of Your Business released as singles. I know there isn't a girl alive who hasn't gotten up to get down to one of those songs!

Man, there is more awesome '90s music out there than I was anticipating. I almost went right past MC Hammer, and what a tragedy that would have been! Who can forget the Hammer Pants, the hair, the dance moves! MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell) became a preacher in the late '90s, but not before he'd put out some classic albums like Too Legit to Quit and The Funky Headhunter!

Finally, who could forget the tragety that was Tupac Shakur (2Pac). He started as a backup dancer, but eventually made his way to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the highest-selling rap artist with over seventy five million copies worldwide. The skinny on 2Pac was that he was shot five times in the lobby of a recording studio in New York and after serving almost a year in jail for sexual abuse he was shot another four times in a drive by shooting in Vegas. He died six days later of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. My favourite of his songs will always be California Love....you can't help sliding down in your seat, grabbing the steering wheel with one hand and nodding your head to the beat.

Cuba!

Last night I went to One Night in Cuba (Tropicana 7) at the Hellenic Club with Den and her friends.

The music was fantastic, with live, nine-piece Latino band Calle Loca and DJ Tocatumba from Sydney.

I don't actually know how to dance Salsa, Merengue, the Bachata, or any other latin dances, but that wasn't going to stop me from giving them all a go! That being said, I think some lessons wouldn't go astray!

They had some great performances throughout the night from different salsa studios around Canberra, but I think the best had to be the Kokoloco dancers, especially the Brazilian girls....they are always a crowd favourite, for obvious reasons ha ha.

So You Think You Can Dance?

On Saturday, Daniel, Csaba, Trin and I went to the So You Think You Can Dance concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The concert was based heavily on the TV show, and had the top ten dancers performing some of the routines from the show and some new solo and group ones.

I have to say it was pretty amazing....these kids can dance! Even if you aren't a dancer and usually have no appreciation of dance, I'd be willing to bet you'd still love it. So many tricks, flips, amazing moves...and the soundtrack was pretty great too!

Here's a little clip from one of the group routines. The lighting made it a bit difficult for my little compact camera to capture well!

Vanessa Amorosi & Michael Paynter

Last night I went with Daniel, Csaba and Slavisha to see Vanessa Amorosi play at the Southern Cross Club. Michael Paynter opened, and he was really, really good.

Of course Vanessa's show was high energy and required a lot of audience participation, so even if you weren't a huge fan before the concert, you left one.

We met them after the show for some photos, autographs and a bit of a chat. Both of them were so lovely and genuine in person.

I'd recommend the show!

Lindy Charm School

On Saturday morning I went along to Lindy Charm School to learn how to fix my hair, make up, and clothing in 30s style. It was so much fun! We tried a victory rolls, pin curls, red lipstick, finger waves, and even checked out bullet bras, girdles, garters, seamed nylons etc! Oh yeah, I also had my hair died dark! I asked to go strawberry blonde with darker bits underneith and this is what I got! I like it though, and I think it suits the 30s styles better than blonde...pity it is starting to fade out already.

We had so much fun chatting away and doing our hair that we were late for the Girls Only Performance Class. We are learning a ladies-only routine to perform at the annual Swing festival, Canberräng 2008. It should be good, it's a lot of fun!

On the weekend I also went to Marijan, Meri and Ren's farewell party at Uni Pub, and to Alissa, Pete, Sam and Mary's housewarming. Their new home is SO lovely! I'm looking forward to lots of repeat invitations....hint, hint. ;o)

Twenty600

So, I'm sure I've told most of you already, but for those I haven't....

There is a cool, new magazine in town, Twenty600. It is written by Canberrans, pokes fun at Canberra, pays tribute to Canberra, reviews gigs, provides coming attractions, and is basically all about Canberra. It aims (and succeeds I might add) to fill a hole in the 20/30-something market.

I was asked to help out with some photography, and the Winter 08 (Issue number 3) saw my first published pics (other than winning photo comps etc).

Here are a couple of original images, and scanned pages. The first image is our bios, we had to google ourselves for an alter-ego. The second pic was for a story about the epidemic that is sweeping once-sane women who are now obsessed with counting calories and discussing how many kilojoules are in every bite they consume.

The next lot of pics were taken for a story on the way the media (and society) portrays women and sexuality.

Hope you enjoy....look out for the next edition!

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow

Man, what a mouthful. Last night we went to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow at the Canberra Theatre. It was hilarious!

Dave Williams was MC, and the other acts were Harley Breen, Hannah Gadsby, Mickey D and Paul McDermott, Cameron Bruce, and Mick Moriarty's band GUD.

My stomach muscles are still hurting from all the laughing! It was a great night.

After the show Dave, Mickey, Hannah and Harley came out and we got to chat to them for a bit. :o)

Christopher Tovo

We went to the Athenaeum on Saturday night to see the Chaser's Variety Hour, and in the foyer there was an exhibition of black and white photographs. I couldn't stop looking at them, even as I was dragged into the theatre.

I contacted the Athenaeum and found out who's exhibition it was.....Christopher Tovo. The exhibition is called the Smoking Gun. Check out his website, his work is breathtaking! In fact, I would go as far as to say he is my new favourite photographer!!!

Swinging

Well, we had our first intermediate Swing dance class last night! I think it went really well.

Our teachers have suggested we take part in a dance competition that is coming up. We're a bit nervous about it, but I think it will give us the kick we need to really start practicing!

The comp is the 2008 GDS National Open Competition on 19 July. So only five and a half weeks to go!

If anyone else is keen to start swinging, check out Jumptown for the next beginner course.

Chaser weekend

Daniel surprised me on Sat by flying me to Melbourne! The surprises didn't stop their either. Despite my endless pestering, he refused to tell me what we were doing or who we were seeing. I kept trying to get hints by asking if I could call my sister, or if we could go to dinner at the Shanghai Dumpling Restaurant that I like, but he wouldn't give anything away.

We checked into the Hyatt Grand and then walked to the corner of Collins and Swanston and waited for about ten minutes. Then my mum turned up. A little bit more of Dan's plan was revealed when we walked down a few alleyways and found ourselves at the Shanghai Dumpling Restaurant! Yum! While we were ordering plates of the vegetable and mushroom dumplings, vegetarian fried rice, and pumpkin cakes, my little sister turned up from school. I was so excited, I haven't seen my family in ages!

Daniel hadn't been to the SDR before and wanted to order something other than our usual fare, despite our warnings that newbies always think they can stray from our order and are always disapointed. I love that joint but anything other than the vegie dumplings are a disgrace! :o)

We rolled out of there feeling deliciously full after our $11 per person feed.

Now, you might be thinking the surprises stopped there, but you'd be a fool (as I was). After dinner we had a cocktails and chocolate fondue at Madame Brussels. For those of you who haven't been there before it is filled with garden furniture from your grandmother's garden, plastic grass, lattice work and fake plant life. The wait staff where an interesting mix of outfits, and they even give you blankies if you want to sit on the balcony during the cooler months!

We then said good-bye to mum and headed over to the Anthanaeum Theatre (one of the oldest public institutions in Victoria - running since 1839...just a bit of trivia for you). I still didn't know what was going on until we were about to walk in and find our seats and the announcement came over the loudspeaker that the The Chasers Age Of Terror Variety Hour would be starting in five minutes! Woo Hoo, I had missed the show in Canberra and been so sad!

We wandered in to find that our seats were dead centre in the very first row...always a dangerous position! It didn't disappoint, the show was great and we got picked on a great deal. Daniel even got called up on stage to dance with the crew. Afterwards I got to chat to Chas and Julian for a while too.

So all in all, it was a fantastic weekend!

Jump right in!

Ok, here goes nothing. My first ever blog entry!

This all started because I've been tasked with researching some social media ideas for work and I thought the best thing was just to throw myself in and get some first-hand experience!

I'm not sure what form this blog will take, it will probably evolve as I go, and I suppose that is sort of the point really. :o)

Anyway, stay tuned for the next edition.

J