Considering the Premier of NSW office doesn't accept emails from outside it's electorate...

First, here's part of the email I received in return: "If you are a constituent of another electorate

Due to the large volume of emails we receive, your correspondence will not be forwarded to the Premier’s office."

So, here is one I penned (the last 4 paragraphs are not mine) quite some time ago, November in fact:

>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dear Mr Baird 

I am from South Australia, and have recently attended a public forum on the future of water looking ahead to 2050 held by the Goyder Institute. The conversation is already starting to take shape about what we need to do to protect our farmers, indigenous land owners, environment and general public in regards to water security for the future. 

Recently I sat with my family and we watched the documentary "Gaslands" about the issues that Coal Seam Gas extraction (fracking) has created in communities across the United States. I can only use one word to describe the reaction we all had: horrified. 

Water belongs to everyone, not corporations, and is a basic human right. 

I have also recently spoken to an old colleague who is now working in inland Queensland, who sadly reported to me they had lost two more farmers in the past week to suicide. She stated that it was because the support in infrastructure is not there for them, and they could not see forward into the future. They are trying to get this information heard, but it is not being heard loud enough. I find these kinds of stories exceptionally sad because although I do not know these families personally, I acknowledge that we rely on them for our local food sources and should be easing any stresses they have in relation to security in all its forms, including natural water supplies. 

I have seen and heard reports coming from NSW of communities fighting to keep fracking wells out of their communities, with some success. Please continue to listen to these people, and there rest of the country when we say CSG is not the way forward. It is a dangerous practice that should be banned in Australia. 

I believe the only way forward with regards to energy is via wind and solar. 

A scientific review presented to the NSW Great Artesian Basin Advisory Group has said that the Great Artesian Basin may not be able to survive the water extraction methods used in CSG operations. 

CSG could deplete the pressure that keeps water flowing through bores throughout the basin. The basin's recharge area makes up only about 10 per cent of the overall basin area, and most of this is in the Pilliga region, where Santos is now conducting exploratory drilling. 

CSG threatens to stop bores flowing throughout the basin, thereby cutting off the sole water source for 22 per cent of Australia. 

This represents an unacceptable risk to a water supply that's critical for farming, irrigation, and drinking water for rural communities.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Next time you want to clean your kettle...

Just tried something I remember my mum had told me and found some random notes on a website about it.... 

- halve a lemon
- squeeze half into 1 glass of water
- do that again (2 glasses)
- pour into your kettle
- boil

VOILA!

Let the kettle cool right down, including the element of course, and empty. If there is any scum left then wipe through with a small amount of bicarbonate of soda and a damp cloth. Rinse several times before using again.

Sooooooo good, no chemicals really required if you do this regularly instead of allowing the build up.

Really pleased. Simple.

xJ

begin rant...

If We Don't Dig It Up, Someone Else Will: Coal Giants Argument in Court
https://newmatilda.com//2015/04/09/if-we-dont-dig-it-someone-else-will-coal-giants-argument-court

No. Just no.  It is bad enough that this is a company from outside Australia with such an exposed poisonous, horrendous environmental record, but to say 'nobody is doing anything anyway, someone else will just do it anyway' is just shit.

YES we absolutely need to bring the developing world out of many forms of poverty and provide more stable energy and safer ways for households to cook, etc. to many; we are all equal and should be assisting in making the world safer in this way for the basics of living; but I would hope we can do this with alternative energy sources and with existing infrastructure, or at LEAST coal Carbon Capture technologies being added to existing sites. This particular type of technology has been discussed in many papers I have been reading (back to 2008), so what is the hold up?! And why are these paid think-tanks still getting away with spouting crap like this?! Urgh. Why is it NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY?! It is going to take everyone, Adani, you just can't opt out of this global issue of keeping the ecosystems sustainable and safe.

It is very obvious, and well documented, that China and others are moving well away from coal as an energy source because of the health issues/pollution it is creating in their Countries. Arguing to build another coal mine, another port, and to temporarily create jobs etc etc in a very vulnerable part of the ecosystem is a giant cop out.  There IS existing infrastructure in place, if we must continue to use it. We are smarter than this, Adani forgets that.

Don't get me started on Australia cutting foreign aid. What a joke!

Forwards, not backwards, you bag of DICKS (Liberal party - hehe).

/rant

Story time: The Corporate World...

(Originally 'penned' November 9, 2014)

Periodically I step back into the corporate world in the form of, well, what I have heard it referred to as is a 'professional temp'.  Luckily for me I have a long standing relationship with one particular Company that calls me in when either someone is on leave, it gets to a busy period, or they want to complete a research project.

So this week I have been back in the office, ultimately helping play catch up, and filling a hole left as sadly someone had a relative in a bad accident overseas and had to jump on a flight immediately.

This week has stemmed a conversation amongst those of us in this particular department I am working in, on different 'breeds' of workers.  I guess it is funny to categorise people in that way, but I really can't think of a better way to put it.

There are people that cruise along in their workplace and don't think of the flow on effect that their daily work has on the person next to them.  I have run across this multiple times in my previous life as a corporate lackie, along with the fact that nearly every job I have ever taken there was no instructions for.  Which opens up a whole new can of worms I suppose; the old 'what if I got hit by a bus' argument. Not that any of us want to be hit by a bus of course, however it begs the question, are people too busy in their day to document what it is they actually do?

When I worked in Corporate full-time, I actually tended to stay in jobs quite a long time... 4 1/2 years I think was the longest, in a job I actually truly loved with a great team of people who were like family. But the great powers that be in Government, back in the time when they never wanted to make anyone permanent and forced them to annually apply for their own jobs in a long-winded application (I'm talking 12 pages here), ousted me from my own job. They decided to pass it on to someone who I knew for a fact actually had no real direct experience in how we were developing this division of the Agency. I'm all for learning new skills but this was a little different.  They gave me four days notice that I was unsuccessful in my application to retain my own job and said 'there's talk of you perhaps wanting to stay on a little bit longer' (as they understood it was not much notice, or some such fuckery). I strongly replied 'I think it's more in my interest to go and find another job, don't you?'.  They wanted me to stay on and train the person. Well fair enough; I have done a myriad of training and hand-overs in my life, when moving sideways or upwards or whatever. But when someone actually decides to pull one over in you in that manner, giving so little notice, sorry but they're on their own.

I had a new job about 5 days after leaving that one.

I also had a Corporate relationship that was very toxic, and after 3 1/2 years I declined an offer from Management to simply take a break (I'd fallen down a staircase and screwed up my lower lumbar too, that didn't really help sitting at a desk every day).  I ended up over the few years following my departure often being poached when they found out, somehow (little birdies?), that I was in between temp jobs.  In this instance I had the power to negotiate - which was always received well - and make some small demands. IE. 'I can come for X period of time, but 2 weeks before I leave I want you to find me someone to fully train' or 'I want to work 4 days in December, in the new year I can go to 5, but at X date I must leave because I have a contract with Y.'

I do leave VERY comprehensive instruction manuals in any job I move on from, whether it has been a short fill-in project, or a longer permanent full-time job I have had. When I have been given the opportunity to hand-over properly I give training to the best of my ability, which I actually think I am quite good at.

(new notes 20 March 2015): Wow, this is actually pretty good I think. Anyway it goes a small way to explain as to why I moved from full time Corporate universe into Festival CarnieLand. As many of you know, I spent most of my extra curricular hours in those early working years volunteering for the excellent Three D Radio, clocking up ten years in total between 1994 & 2004. I also put my hand up to assist with many local events in Adelaide, anything from being a door bitch, to organising Three D's 21st birthday when everyone else had thought there was not enough time to do so. And after many years of sitting in an office, I applied for a job with Falls simply because I wanted an excuse to go back to the beauty that is Tasmania.

And the rest is history...
xJ

Annual Goals

Each year I write myself a list of things I want to get done... not a new years resolution list, more personal goals that I can monitor and mark off as they are completed.

What I just realised is that I am already 25% of the way to my annual savings goal, and this makes me super happy.  I put the level UP this year, so that's even better. I usually burn a giant hole in it when I do my big annual trip to see the North American family, but I am determined not to do that this time.

Might be a small thing, and whilst money is never my main focus in life (as in, it's not all about the money), I realise that planning somewhat for my future is important.

After reading Hannah McQueens book on finance last year I started putting 10% away of whatever I earn from that point on, no matter how small. Realistically I can often put away more as I am resourceful and don't tend to overspend, but this small target has been great to keep a focus.  Even when I had a few weeks of shitty income and had to actually dip into this fund, as soon as I was able a few weeks later when a decent pay cheque arrived, I replenished it. Go me!

Fringe is imminent! Happy festivalling all, may you have a beautiful season.

xJ

Trying to NOT suck so hard at sewing.... Part Deux...

This awesome shopping trolley that I have had and used for a while now, thanks to a delightful friend who picked it up at a yard sale for me, has always seriously needed something to stop smaller things sliding out the side...

Awwww.... poor trolley!
So naked.

Anyhoo, my mother very naughtily cut out the sizing I had measured instead of letting me do it! Naughty mum!

So she said she would teach me a 'french seam' as it is the strongest thing she was ever taught when she learned to sew.

But then she realised she had not calculated quite enough to allow for this so we had a gap - nawwwww! Balls!

Oh look! Here's some sweet sweet corduroy from the shed!

So cute, totally foreign.

That's BETTER!

Completed Mission 2 of trying not to suck at sewing! Huzzah!

It's a little saggy at the side I guess but when filled with groceries who gives a toss.
It totally does the trick, is removable and washable.

NB. There was an awful lot of swearing and laughing during this project.

xJ

Trying to not suck so hard at SEWING...

So I've had a few things sitting there in a giant pile being neglected waiting for mending or just general 'that's not quite right' kind of fixing... so have made some headway on that this past week!

I'm a big fan of buttons, I can't help but collect a myriad of them wherever I am on this planet. The little memories they bring back to me are just wonderful.  So I had used a couple of pieces of fabric I got in Japan in 2009 and dodge-ily attached them to coathangers. They were getting a little neglected and saggy so it was time to fix them for real.

Here's what happened:

All that was really required for this was for me to go to the hardware store and buy some (sustainable forested) dowel, the chains and keyring chain came from what was already in my parents stash of craft things.




 Yay! Now they are less saggy and more sturdy and YIPPEE!

More soon. xJ

Divestment...

Just hit UNsubscribe on my current Superannuation Funds email newsletters...

I can't say that they haven't tried to be forthcoming in their communications with regards to sustainability and divestment.  In fact someone from their sustainability department tried to phone me when I was at work sadly, so could not answer.  Ultimately, with the WORLD BANK just announcing it will no longer fund coal projects (and yes, I know they aren't the best, however this is a big move), they don't really have a leg to stand on with comments like: "due to reasons of confidentiality and regulatory requirements xxxx cannot comment on individual companies or projects."  That has pretty much been a standard line in all communications I have received from a number of banks I have contacted about the fossil fuel project threatening the Great Barrier Reef.

Sod that. If some of the worlds biggest financial groups can just outright say NO, we will not fund the Adani project, why will NONE of the Big 4 Australian banks say the same.

My reply to the bank attached to my Fund:

"The World Bank was just able to announce that it will no longer fund coal projects unless there is 'extreme need'.

"The World Bank will invest heavily in clean energy and only fund coal projects in “circumstances of extreme need” because climate change will undermine efforts to eliminate extreme poverty, says its president Jim Yong Kim."

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/23/world-bank-to-focus-future-investment-on-clean-energy

And with a coal mine in Australia having to shut production for 3 weeks just recently due to oversupply, it is very clear that coal is on the way out.  There has been little to no movement, it seems, in carbon capture technology and therefore trying to continue with this form of energy is simply bad investments.

I live in South Australia where the State's emissions reductions target is currently larger than the Federal one, where we are being noticed for the strong growth in renewables, and where Coal Seam Gas is also being fought against.

I will be posting my rollover form today to complete the process. I appreciate your emails but I cannot leave my money with any company I do not believe is clearly moving forward, as so many others are."

So, here's some photos... hehe.

Here are the resources I used to make my decision. All I'm asking is that you look into where your money is held. If you are comfortable with it, sure, keep it that way. But if you question the investments that your institution holds, start a dialogue with them.

Market Forces: http://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/banks/
Super Switch: www.superswitch.org.au
Future Super: http://www.myfuturesuper.com.au/
Go Fossil Free: http://gofossilfree.org.au/

We need everyone.
xJ

My total rant to Simon Birmingham...

I ask that you to reject the bill regarding the collection and holding of data from private email and telephone records in Australia, currently being debated in the Lower House.
The destructive policies the LNP is introducing every day in the Federal Parliament are creating fear, hatred and confusion amongst the people you are supposed to be serving.  I can personally tell you that my anxiety has gone through the roof.  I cannot see ONE thing that this current Government has done that is forward thinking.  Playing the blame game still, 12 months after being elected, is ridiculous and childish.
I see that you are the Parliamentary Secretary re: Environment.  May I also put forward my absolute disgust with not only 'Direct Action', but the approval of dredging in the Great Barrier Reef marine parks area.  Across the nation on the weekend of 18 October, thousands of people pledged to make moves to close, or did close, their bank accounts associated with fossil fuel investment. I  myself am pulling all of my money out of ANZ and BT Super (Westpac) so that my personal dollar does not continue to fund old dirty technologies which should be abandoned.  As the rest of the world moves forward, the LNP continues to push it's agenda of industrialisation which, simply, cannot be sustained.  Being a South Australian Senator, you may have noticed our State government setting it's OWN emissions target, much higher than what you are proposing Federally.
Roads are not the way forward, high speed rail is. Allowing more coal mines to be built is simply bad investment. And allowing hydraulic fracturing at ALL in this country is a terrible threat to aquifers and waterways, of which we have very limited resources.
Please pass on my comments also to Mr Hunt. I have phoned his office in the past when there was first talk of approving the Adani project to put forward my objection.
Sign the DOHA amendment for the Kyoto Protocol, committing to our future.
Regards,

Hannah McQueen's "The Perfect Balance" - notes

I found this book by Hannah straightforward, but uplifting and mostly I thought it would be helpful to many people I know.  We don't have to accept being unstable or less organised financially because we earn less.  For example, I've always said that I have no pre-conceived notion that I would ever own property. Could that change? Who knows, we shall see.

Some quotes from the book:

"Consider whether you want something because you have always had it, or does it truly make you happy? It is not until you start to go through the process of elimination that you can rule out needs vs wants"

"Remember, it is never too late to change your financial landscape."

"Where am I financially? What potential do I have? Where do I want to be? What is standing in my way?"

"The key to every successful financial plan is to spend less than you earn so that you can repay any debt you have as quickly as possible. After that, you can save for your future, which can be painted whatever colours you want."

xJ

Tired of being so angry all the time...

In my recent past I went to see a kinesiologist at the insistence of a Bristanbul beauty.  Sadly, the words 'fear', 'anger', 'rage' came up, as well as 'confusion of truth' and 'activism'.

"Surrendering to the natural order" may be all well and good, and hey, deep down I do believe that.  But at the same time does that discount fighting for what you believe in?!

Problem is that right now, especially in this country, there is so much fuckery going on that I can't even take it any more.  News feeds of various sorts keep telling me the worst news I can think of; and this is mostly how backwards our Government is.  Having just passed the 12 month interval in power, not only do we not have a leader who can even do a speech without a tiny plastic bug in his ear, their complete obsession with 'bringing the budget to surplus' is a complete joke.

There are many quotes I could bring in here, but let's use just one from Utah Phillips: "The Earth is not dying, she is being killed. And those that are killing her have names and addresses."  (the word 'she' is probably 'it' in that quote, but let's not mince words)

Oh but wait, let's ignore the budget, there's a war to go to!


Oh but wait, let's ignore the budget and push through backwards policies on environment whilst no-one is looking. To quote our PM "Coal is good for humanity".  What the ACTUAL FUCK TAbby?! (Obviously didn't have the bug in his ear that day).

Two words: Kyoto Protocol, numbnuts. (Okay, that's three).

Oh wait, now that initial period is over isn't it... except that you know, the people have been marching across the world and you couldn't care less.

What will it seriously take for them all to realise they can't eat money?!

Rant rant rant.
Apologies interweb. I've been feeling dreadful about the state of the universe this week.

What have I done?! Been in conversation with both my Super fund and one of my banks (sadly, stuck with a debt with one of the Big 4 that I will hopefully be able to shift elsewhere - because hey, if I have to pay interest to anyone, I'd like to know that even that small amount isn't fossil fuel investment based).

It's all I can personally do right now, to clear my conscience and to send a message, that I will not store my money with someone who is investing in technologies I believe need to be ousted completely in favour of something a liiiiiittttle cleaner.

xJ

Another day, another tape dubbed....

Talk about going into a time-warp! Yes I dubbed off video footage of some girlfriends and I on a cruise boat in early 1999, amongst other things. Hilarity.

One thing was for sure, I was ultimately miserable with my boyfriend at the time.  I also dragged out the last remaining box of random stuff (that I know of) in my parents house and have been going through old letters and such.  This included letters FROM said boyfriend, of which are all now in the recycling. What a joke, truly. You realise how far you came since getting rid of something so toxic out of your life.  So long ago *sigh*.

The tape also had really short bursts of footage from my old home just North of Adelaide. Friends doing stupid shit like discussing why christ was ultimately in smarties chocolate, and making a bunch of toys dance to random music. And failing at buying milk, apparently. It actually prompted me to look up a few people to see if I could find them in the social media sphere. I found a couple and sent them messages explaining what shenanigans I had found.

Still have a number of VHS tapes to go through, it is quite fun really. One tape I knew I wouldn't bother keeping but thought I would watch was very early season South Park.  I was feeling rather under the weather yesterday, a cold is trying desperately to get me but I won't let it!  So I slothed in front of the box whilst looking through paperwork and watched a half dozen episodes at least of that, then put the tape in the box with the others to go to the recycle place.

On the membership card challenge front (only a few days until the end of the month - EEK!), I put one for a nail salon in the recycling. Ultimately I tend to only do that girly stuff whilst in North America once I've destroyed my feet at a couple festivals over the summer there. Besides the business was actually pretty average and I know I won't go back.

I've asked the company I was querying AGAIN about their fair trade, workers rights, environmental practices. I'd sent them an email about it over a month ago when they queried what kind of information I was after. They never came back to me.  We shall see. They have about 5 days to do so or bye bye membership card.

I've downloaded the PDS and the other information from the Super fund I am most likely to switch to. NO investment in fossil fuels whatsoever. It's brand new. Some people might think it a gamble, but realistically, I'll be working probably another 35 years so sod it. I'd rather have a clear conscience than worry about if money will be there or not - at least right now.

Namaste.

xJ

SA Water Future Hypothetical

Hmmm... I still don't know how to react to what I saw last night.

Recently I watched the following film about how we are clearly doing things wrong.

Peak Oil was only mentioned once last night (by the moderator, the delightful Rod Quantock) and I wonder why we are still managing to ignore this.  It's why it infuriates me so much our Government is so backwards when it comes to renewables. Eventually things will start to run out, oil and coal are not reusable forms of energy, you burn them and that's it. Why is that so hard to comprehend?!

Currently the Australian Government are attacking the Renewable Energy Target, seemingly allowing some concessions for 'trade' if you believe a tweet by the "Environment Minister" Greg Hunt. I put him in inverted comma's because he is not doing the best job.

I am desperately trying to understand all of this. The fear, hatred and sheer confusion this Government is creating is completely frustrating. I want clear language, I want them to actually DO something, I want a Leader who can actually public speak, and a party who does not continue to play a blame game 12 months after they elected. You won, you fools, so actually work for the people you are supposed to serve, instead of playing he-said-she-said.

I'm so over it!
xJ

The passing of Whitlam...

I certainly don't pretend to be an expert by any means on Whitlam, but after hearing people speak about him and learning more about the myriad of things he did for social change during his very very short time in office, I truly wonder where our next great leader will come from.

The entire LNP should be hanging their heads in shame right about now. They've been in power a year and all I can see that they have done, apart from stupidly dissolve two environmental 'taxes' (that were actually meant to hit big business and, you know, hopefully make them think about how to diversify and do things a little cleaner - one of which wasn't a tax), is create fear and division amongst the people of this country.

It's a crying effing shame, truly, that people would have criticised someone like Gillard, who I saw was so proud and really obviously deeply moved when she announced something she considered her legacy in Parliament (the NDIS).  Mostly it ended up being about what she wore, that she was living with someone that wasn't her husband, blah blah blah. Which was ridiculous and shameful.  If that's all you've got, LNP, to use personal attacks on a leader, you're a shitty opposition and an even shittier Government.

To continue to play the blame game in Parliament at this point in your tenure, TAbby, is an absolute farce; I don't buy it. You're in power now, clean it up if you think it's that bad. Stop fluffing around and DO SOMETHING.

You don't have the respect of the nation, you have people asking 'what the hell?'.

And when we all now remember someone who was as forward thinking as Whitlam, I hope that the Parliamentarians of this nation take a good, long, hard look at themselves, retrospectively thank him for their free education, and have the revelation that nation building is not always about the cash-money, but about the well being of all.

Vale Whitlam. A true leader.

xJ

Membership Card Challenge Update...

Earlier this week I cut up my Woolworths rewards card!  It was totally satisfying, I just logged on to the site, cancelled the card, and cut the bastard up!

The truth was I was barely using it anyway, I've had a long standing dislike of this organisation for a variety of reasons, but the icing on the cake was the random "Aussie Pride" (yeah right, more like racist) shirt they got so much flack for putting into a couple of their stores these past couple weeks.  The bigger problem I have had with them is that they owned a hell of a lot of Hotels (of which some were sold to a SUPER FUND of all things recently) that are ablaze with pokie machines.  North American family; you would call these slot machines. Yes it's legal to put them anywhere you like here. It's a truly horrific problem.

Seriously, if your hotel can't make money just being a place to meet, eat, drink, play scrabble, have gigs... then there is something wrong with your business model.

That's all for now. Rant ended.

xJ

Divestment Day is finally here!

I am almost certain there will be little to no media coverage on this day, but I am proud to say that I will include myself in this mission.

Today is DIVESTMENT DAY. 

Some big movers and shakers (ref. ANU and Glasgow University) have recently publicly declared they are divesting their universities away from fossil fuels.  I completely applaud this and wrote to the Vice Chancellor of ANU last week to tell them to stand strong on this.  There has been much criticism by our Government here, so they obviously are taking SOME notice.  So I do tend to wonder if they will pay any attention at all to the groups of people meeting around the country this weekend, declaring that they will also move their personal funds into something more sustainable.

Via the link above you can add your voice to an Open Letter to the Big 4 banks in Australia.  I've discovered my super fund is strongly linked to one of them, so have been in conversation with them about it. I think I've said before that they have been thorough which I appreciate, but still have not said they will move backwards out of fossil fuel investments. So, in a nutshell, they can suck it.

superswitch.org.au is also a good source of information, with seemingly some funds refusing to release information about where their investments are. This immediately runs a red flag for me.

Anyway, all of our journeys on this Earth is personal. But I will not have the Earth ripped up in my name.

xJ

Projects MkII

Yes, projects. Or at least... personal challenges.

So I've decided I have been way to slack in the reading department AGAIN this year, even though it was again on my annual list to READ MORE BOOKS.  Well what a slacker.

However, I have devoured two (count them, TWO!) in the last couple of weeks.

The first one being Adrienne Langman's "Choosing Eden: The real dirt on the coming energy crisis". Truly a delight. All I want to do now is pack up and create my own food forest in the country. For real. (Well researched and prepared of course.)

This book was a very personal story, about a couple in their 50's who had always been city dwellers, learning about Peak Oil. Collectively then deciding to prepare for their future and the future of their kids and grandchildren by giving it all up, retiring kind of early, and building something new and completely out of their comfort zone.

Whilst you might not appreciate the doom and gloom of it all, it is well worth a read because it was damned inspiring.  The revelations this woman was having about her life and the lives of all of us was like a HALLELULJAH moment for me because I am starting to feel less alone in this lately.

Truly, there are still bogan trolls on the internet who really need to be shot straight into the sun but that is a whole 'nother phenomena altogether. Perhaps one day these types of will also have a revelation, perhaps they won't. In any case, I'd rather be prepared for what is to come in this life than be ignorant about it.

We are all connected. Don't forget that.

I have also decided that, though I care about a myriad of issues in this world, the heart of it all for me is environment. Because if we don't have one none of us will survive.  So plodding along creating challenges for "Planet Challenge" that are really, at their core, about auditing your own life. Because I feel the world needs that. Focus for me is very hard so sadly, I am deleting emails that aren't specifically related to environmental planning, etc. at the moment. This said, that is going pretty well so far. I am trying to only take in the stories from around the globe that are about preservation, fights for our waterways and the like.

Namaste.

xJ

Mental Health Week

Been busy, busy, busy.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending my cousins launch of her new book of poetry, an event held as part of Mental Health Week at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide.

The book is called Pendulum and is a collection of her poetry. You can read about Kylie's journey by visiting her website at http://kylieharrison.wordpress.com

She is a Community Peer Worker who spends her time educating and bringing awareness to community to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health issues.  It is exceptionally commendable indeed and I am proud to know her.

In other news... not much more progress on my membership cards mission I am afraid, though I have been in email discussion with one of the organisations who recently changed their 'points' system and said I would be forwarded my first discount voucher. Well it hasn't happened, so now they have 'rewarded' me by putting my points back on my card, so when I next purchase I will THEN receive a rewards voucher. Talk about backwards. Pretty sure I will be cancelling this membership.

Besides that, I have sent them several emails about the ethical sourcing of their clothing and other products.  They sent a pretty simple one-liner kind of response in return, which didn't really satisfy me. I want real answers.  If you say you are sourcing ethically, why aren't you a member of an organisation that is pushing for this? Why is there no information about this on your website? WHY were you also labelled as a Company to watch after the terrible building collapse in Bangladesh.

Points schmoints! I'd rather have a clear conscience me thinks.  Will see what their next responses are with regards to this and make a decision on this by the end of the month.

Also, I turned a year older this week. Where oh where does the time go?! At least I feel like I have been quite productive in the last few weeks. Well, in between the temp admin job to make the cash money, sadly necessary in this world, though this particular organisation I do enjoy spending time with them and helping them out when necessary. So it is kind of a win-win.

One Love. xJ

More progress on the op shop...

 Before <<<

After >>>

Looking a little neater if we don't say so ourselves :)

xJ

Projects, projects, projects...

So I have a little bit of time up my sleeve at the moment, at least, until next week when I will be doing some temping again.

Whilst I was away on my North American jaunt this year, my Dad found MORE boxes of stuff that belonged to me when he cleaned out his computer room.  It included a box of old VHS. Some of it is stuff I taped from the teev and some is home video stylings!

This is only a tiny bit of what he found. There is probably another half dozen at least for me to go through.

Have started going through what is on the tapes as of course not all of it is to be kept.  Dubbing off/digitizing stuff I'd really like to keep that you can't get anywhere else, a few concerts and copies of episodes of shows that were never released on DVD.

  I will put more info on how we are digitizing them later :)

So I have started recycling the cardboard packaging of the ones we have dubbed because that's the easy part that can be put into household recycling. And I am putting aside the physical tapes.

The hard part is recycling the actual tapes themselves.  More on that later. But SA friends, if you have any old VHS that you would like to recycle properly, get them together before the end of the month because I'm going to commit that I will personally ensure they go to a place that CAN recycle them correctly. Nothing will happen to them if they go in your regular recycle bin at home.

More on that later.
One love.
Reclaim. Recycle. Reuse.
xJ